With the weight of a thousand planets, Wisconsin’s Cavernlight returns. It’s been five years since the sludge-ridden doom quartet released their debut album, As We Cup Our Hands and Drink from the Stream of Our Ache. Their first effort was an incredible effort that represented drawing one’s life energy and motivation from a toxic place. With the years gone by — and how the last couple, in particular, have gone — Cavernlight’s return seemingly would continue down that road. However, it’s quite the opposite on their newest album, As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw.
Where As We Cup Our Hands… focused on limitless suffering as a product of the world around the band, As I Cast Ruin… showcases vengeance. It is Cavernlight fueled by scorn as they implore why the world has brought such suffering and why it continues to enable such malice.
The band, in a quote to Decibel, summarizes the background of their new album and the title track. “As I Cast Ruin… is accepting our place in this world with greater clarity, owning our response to the external factors in our lives, owning our personal failures and mistakes. It’s also asking the world what kind of existence offers the choices and environments that enable these feelings to be born and flourish. How should one respond when not given the knowledge and tools that are meant to aid in the response? Why is it any surprise to so many of us to have our will and happiness broken and destroyed while we try to hold onto a small piece of the warmth and light we had when we came into being.”
In the title track to their second album, the Oshkosh band—joined by guest vocalist Thommy Saraceno (Owlfood) exemplifies the meaning behind their record wonderfully. The nearly six-minute song brings earth-shaking doom metal down from worlds beyond. Listen to an advanced stream of the title track and pre-order the album now. As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw arrives May 13 through Translation Loss Records.
