Caldera
Holy Word to Unholy Species (CD) 2004 None
A caldera is what's left of a mountain after its top blows off in a volcanic explosion. You know, like Crater Lake in Oregon? That's a caldera. So you know that this French band of the same name chose their appellation carefully. These folks serve up a smooth, rich, bottom-heavy blend of stoner and doom with enough delicious guitar tone and powerful riffs to please groovers in both camps. Originally an instrumental band, Caldera was augmented on their second EP by Water Dragon records maven and Low Vibes singer Matt, who shouts on three out of five tunes on 'Holy Word' as well. The band has added an 80s English metal feel to some of the songs, which IMO only adds to the grooviness factor, much like some of the new psycheDOOMelic label releases. Cool. 'Six Feet Under' is nice n' doomy, with Matt's clear yet edgy vocals leading the way through lots of Sabbathy crunch and stoner mayhem. 'Hard to Find' is an instro with dual guitar giving the tune some NWOBHM flava, while 'Earth Blues' (NOT the Hendrix song) is a stoned churner, with lyrics about mountains screaming. Wyndorf anyone? Caldera shows much promise on 'Holy Word;' the heavy groove is stronger than ever. They rock the doom 'till it hurts bruthas and sistas, but only 'cause it feels so good, heh heh. Although their song composition skills are strong, the tuneage with vocals shines the brightest. Fans of trad doom and stoner groove will dig. I'm a member of both camps, so all I need to do at this point is figure out where I put that damned lighter....	1. Silent Prayers 2. Six Feet Under 3. Hard to Find 4. Earth Blues 5. Sinister Purpose Approx. 29 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh
Caldera (CD) 2005 None
They do a lot of things right in France, but underground music has not traditionally been one of them. Don't tell that to those drugged-out Parisians in Caldera, though, 'cause they're not listening. Their demo from last year, 'Holy Word to Unholy Species' was a cry from the far underground, a superior loud n' proud mix of heavy 70s stoner riffage with traditional doom elements that should have put them on the map, but apparently didn't. They're busy recording a full length at the moment, and in the meantime the group has put out a four-song EP taster. If this is what's to come, they've really evolved in the past year, a result, I suspect, of a change in their listening habits. The riffs are still there, mind you, but the orientation has changed. That fat 70s influenced groove has transformed into a riffing wall of noise: the vocals have receded into the mix and the guitars are noisier and more doomed-out than ever. The tuneage seems to be influenced more by Isis, Neurosis, Mastodon, High on Fire, and even Sally rather than the likes of, say, Nebula. And hey, the cover art is very cool: a flaming bison head that would do Malleus proud. Well, I'll take 'em however I can get 'em. Some visionary label would be wise to sign them up. After all, you don't find talented groups like Caldera every day. Especially in France.	1. Blood Sweat and Tears 2. The Journey 3. The Rope 4. Going to the Grave Approx. 24 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh