Toronto trio Cauldron effectively conjure up the classic '80s metal vibes of acts such as Scorpions, Dio and Judas Priest on their fifth record, New Gods. The band's latest offering is nostalgic yet refreshing, giving off the attitude one would have while speeding down the highway smoking a cigarette in a beer-stained leather jacket.
Songs such as opener "Prisoner of the Past" and "Never Be Found" capture the gritty attitude that heavy metal built its foundation on through melodic mid-tempo riffs and ripping guitar solos. The band manage to avoid falling into cheesy nostalgia despite tracks like "No Longer" and "Letting Go" sporting plenty of moments Dokken would be jealous they didn't make.
Even when Cauldron inch their way close to writing a song you would expect to be played at a high school prom in 1987 on "Together As None," they do so without the flimsy songwriting that eventually led to hair metal's embarrassing downfall. The band's hard and heavy tone gives their lighter moments an extra bit of punch that their predecessors often didn't have, allowing their songs not to feel like throwbacks.
While new records from bands such as Judas Priest, W.A.S.P. or Saxon feel tired and old, New Gods is here to provide classic heavy metal with the kind of energy it so desperately needs. Although it's hard to think of a world where the pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock are no longer around, it's satisfying to know bands like Cauldron will be around to fill the gap.
(The End)Songs such as opener "Prisoner of the Past" and "Never Be Found" capture the gritty attitude that heavy metal built its foundation on through melodic mid-tempo riffs and ripping guitar solos. The band manage to avoid falling into cheesy nostalgia despite tracks like "No Longer" and "Letting Go" sporting plenty of moments Dokken would be jealous they didn't make.
Even when Cauldron inch their way close to writing a song you would expect to be played at a high school prom in 1987 on "Together As None," they do so without the flimsy songwriting that eventually led to hair metal's embarrassing downfall. The band's hard and heavy tone gives their lighter moments an extra bit of punch that their predecessors often didn't have, allowing their songs not to feel like throwbacks.
While new records from bands such as Judas Priest, W.A.S.P. or Saxon feel tired and old, New Gods is here to provide classic heavy metal with the kind of energy it so desperately needs. Although it's hard to think of a world where the pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock are no longer around, it's satisfying to know bands like Cauldron will be around to fill the gap.