Cabinet – Debut (13th Floor EP Review)
Cabinet are one of the three post covid metal bands that piqued my interest, as the live music scene revitalised.
Of the three, Cabinet, Carthage and Cold Ceiling, only Cabinet still feature in the Tamaki Makaurau scene, with Carthage relocating to Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and Cold Ceiling being on hiatus (while the singer is studenting in Boorloo/Perth)
Each of the three bring something unique to the genre, Maths-Metal (Cold Ceiling), Emo/Goth Metal (Carthage) and then there is Cabinet, who incorporate (consciously or not) not just hardcore/grind metal, but also the agitpop elements of emo/post-punk/metal groups like Butthole Surfers, Napalm Death and Thou
Debut is not an album, but at 17 (odd) minutes is an EP, in the tradition of Aotearoa acts of past days, a 5 songs introduction (though Cabinet do have three online singles to their name already) Having seen Cabinet several times, and particularly enjoyed their performance at this years Junk Festival, it is pleasing, rewarding, sating that the group: Ari Cornwell – Drums, Cian Ross – Bass, Vocals., Hugo Simpson – Guitar, Vocals, and Alex Tyrrell – Guitar, Vocals have managed to capture their live energy on tape, and even use sample dialogue to start song number one – Jumpers That Fit off.
Recording low-fi has caught all the dynamics that feature in Cabinet’s song-writing. While the vocals rarely stray from grindcore, when they do the effect is dynamic, the array of guitar machinations and pace have created, in the short time, a set of songs that offer dissimilarity from each other. Breakfast Bagels with Sertraline, is possibly the stand out song for me, with its multifarious elements, structurally, vocal and musically. Then again Never look a Gift Horse in the Mouth is gloriously staggered, driving hardcore/metal that sate the never-ending desire for noise.
Cabinet are shrewd in releasing this EP on the top of three staggered singles. Hopefully the ravages of the modern world won’t tear the band asunder, and a full blown album may come hither in the future. In the meanwhile, check out Debut, and perhaps encounter them at your local venue.
Simon Coffey
Debut is out now…click here.
