★★★
Let’s put on the Captain Obvious cape for a second and confirm that, yes, the hallmarks of Cane Hill’s sound are an awful lot like those of Iowa’s masked maniacs Slipknot.
The similarity has been noted in almost every piece of media and probably dogs this quartet like door-to-door sermons on a Sunday morning.
However, if you not only love a bit of the ’Knot, but also the likes of Marilyn Manson and Korn, then you’ll be sure to appreciate Cane Hill’s efforts on their debut album Smile. The low, murderous growl of lead sinner singer Elijah Witt and the thunderous instrumentation behind him demonstrate just how tight their song construction is. For every throaty roar, there is a sinister guitar rumble to further emphasise the ferocity inside, flipping effortlessly to a snaking groove when Witt simmers down to his low, moan-like singing.
Standouts include single ‘(The New) Jesus’, with its catchy-as-hell chorus and cheerleader chants in the background, and ‘St. Veronica’, which shows off the less bombastic and more melodic side of the band, while ‘Cream Pie’ provides a nu-metal tone to the project.
It may be an amalgamation of sounds already mastered elsewhere, but the execution and catchy lyricism make it well worth revelling in a bit of familiarity.
Cane Hill’sSmileis out now via Rise Records/Cooking Vinyl.
