Cave In's fifth almost too 'Perfect'

For being the fifth full-length release in Cave In's long career, chances are that if they didn't get noticed with their previous album Antenna, then maybe their latest effort, Perfect Pitch Black, might finally pull them out of the underground. Where albums like Beyond Hypothermia and Until Your Heart Stops were often compared to Converge, Cave In fine-tuned their sound with the spacey Jupiter and aggressive Antenna. And now Cave In is calling on all their previous styles for the ultimate dose of musical alchemy.\nTo my surprise, Perfect Pitch Black is not exactly a "new" album, but more of a chance for Cave In to retool many old demos that never graced anyone's ears except those of the die-hard fans.\nThe 30-second opener "Perfect Pitch Black" electronically bleeds into "The World is in Your Way," a song ten times heavier than their past two records combined. Stinging chords and layered guitar/drum patterns brew under Stephen Brodsky's melodious voice before the roars take over. \n"Off to Ruin" has some great serpentine movements while "Trepanning" will knock you on your ass with its half southern sludge/half homage to the fury of mathcore pioneers Botch. \nI'm not sure how long Cave In experimented on the 7-minute "Paranormal," but the hard work paid off. At times as dreamy as Radiohead with an ending passage which screams Coldplay minus the keys, Cave In still manage to keep their originality in this pseudo-ballad. \nWhile to me Stephen Brodsky's vocals are always a major highlight on any Cave In record, "Ataraxia," which means "peace of mind," is an entirely instrumental (with the occasional vocal wail here and there) track that is far too mind-blowing to be meditational. \nThe final two tracks are impressive as well. "Tension in the Ranks" is slow and haunting while "Screaming in Your Sleep" is the last hurrah, a musical outburst akin to a grand finale fireworks display. Fuzzy, rumbling bass, hammering drums and one hell of a ridiculous guitar solo, the album closed leaving a big grin across my face.\nThere is never a dull moment on Perfect Pitch Black. While some of these tracks might just be retooled demos, the songs sound incredibly fresh and new. Cave In had to raise the bar after their last effort and did they do it? If we were taking bets, then I'd put all my money on Black.