| Northern Failures (CD) | 2002 | Hydra Head |
The album was engineered by Today's the Day member Steve Austin, and let me tell you, rarely have I heard such a good low end in a genre where engineers commonly pursue that holiest of grails. The guitars are buzzsaw-rough, giving just the right supporting edge to vocalist Bernie Romanowski's screaming. This is not music for the faint-hearted, but neither is it obnoxious noise-core. Cable always return to the heavy riff no matter how far away they might venture, which is all to the good to these ears. 'Wings of Hope' starts things right with some slammy riffing, while 'Climb the Cactus' is of particular interest to doomsters, with its slow pace, treated vocals, and echoing guitar sometimes sliding into dissonance. The album standout is Black Leather Mustache, which incorporates gently strummed acoustic guitars among the madness. The album winds up with a sick but somehow satisfying version of the tired '70s Marshall Tucker Band chestnut, 'Can't you See'. Contrast this with Halfway to Gone's respectful version; odd to see 2 versions popping up this year.
No, this isn't doom like you're used to, but I can imagine many doomsters going for this unholy cross between Unsane, The Allman Brothers, and Black Sabbath. It gets under your skin like heroin cut with strychnine.
1. Wings of Hope
2. The Big Rock
3. Climb the Cactus
4. Irish Tan
5. The City Dump
6. Black Leather Mustache
7. Fours & Whores
8. Happy Accidents
9. Whiskey Mountain Mantra
10. Homewrecker
11. Can't You See?
Approx. 43 minutes
| Never Trust a Gemini (CD) | 2003 | This Dark Reign |
Beginning as a noise core band almost 10 years ago, Cable has refined their sound by realizing the importance of the Almighty Riff. 'Never Trust a Gemini' continues further down the road begun by their past couple of releases, integrating riffs with noisy vocal angst to create a compelling synergy. Today's the Day's Steve Austin was (once again) the producer, and the sound this guy gets is truly great; full of sticky, delicious tone like the best kind bud. His name should be spoken with reverence, 'cause the guy's freakin' brilliant!
'Tennessee' begins things in fine style with a plunging stoner riff, soon complemented by Cable's tradmark passionate, strained, razor-blade gargling screams. Yet there IS melody here, enhanced by a kind of "halo" sound around the vocals that must be a result of reverb off the studio walls. There's a quiet, menacing break in the middle of the song before the song screeches to a cool-as-hell, effects-laden ending. 'Coming up Spades (pt. 1) is altogether more doomy, with some tasty guitar tone. As far as I'm concerned, 'Battle of the Asses' forms a kind of centrepiece for the album. It begins with a plaintive, lonely guitar figure washed in feedback. Distortion slowly tiptoes in, the noise builds, there are some beautiful (!) guitar harmonies, and the whole thing finally self-destructs in a sludgy sea of weird vocal loops and noise. 'Coming up Spades (pt. 2) has some heavy, doomy riffage and there's even gasp some clean vocals interspersed with the usual sore throatisms. Hey, I wouldn't mind hearing some more of that! 'Missoula' sounds like a road song rave-up, while 'Counting Headstones' is a simple instro that returns us to Frank's lab, screwed up as ever.
Cable's music is difficult to describe: is it classic rock sludge? Metalcore? AggroDoom? Who do they sound like? Molehill? Unsane? Isis? Dillinger Escape Plan? Black Sabbath? Its ridiculous to try to pigeon hole 'em, but I suppose all of this should give you some kind of vague idea. In any case, they're well worth checking out, especially live. I have a feeling that there will be a lot of jaws on the floor after their set at Emissions.
1. Tennessee
2. Coming up Spades (pt. 1)
3. Battle of the Asses
4. Gemini
5. Coming up Spades (pt. 2)
6. Bad Luck Highway
7. Missoula
8. Counting Headstones
Approx. 38 minutes