Clouds We Are Above You

They're still doing it. Despite an ever increasing number of musical endeavors, the Cave In camp continues to churn out nothing but quality releases, with Adam McGrath's Clouds joining the impressive ranks of Old Man Gloom, Zozobra, Pet Genius and Octave Museum. Sure, We Are Above You isn't Clouds' first release (last year's Legendary Demo was an appropriate introduction to the band's classic rock/punk/stoner metal hybrid), but this record's relentless delivery of everything from explosive, fast-moving rock to psychedelic amplifier worship sure does make a strong case for Clouds stealing the top spot in the battle of exemplary post-Cave In acts. But hey, this isn't a competition. If it was, there'd be some serious ethical rivalry issues, as We Are Above You also features the addition of bassist "Johnny Coolbreeze" of Pet Genius and Octave Museum to the band's already experienced line-up. Much like Mike Hill's Tombs, Clouds is yet another example of the value in veteran musicianship. It sure doesn't hurt to trust your listening ears to a few guys who have done their time in the Boston music scene. "Empires in Basements" kicks the disc into gear with thick stoner metal riffs accompanied by McGrath's melodic yell before opening things up with a massively melodic chorus. "Heisenberg Says." switches gears with its noisy punk feel, giving off a few hints to some Bad Brains influence during its sub-two minute duration. "Motion of the Ocean" fills the musical gap between the vintage blues rock of Deep Purple and the later metallic rock leanings of Entombed. And the psychedelic open spaces of the closer, "Garbage In, Garbage Out," offer yet another musical dimension, closing the record with warm guitar licks and McGrath's gritty wails. We Are Above You is simply an intelligent rock record that refuses to comply with the boundaries of the stoner rock and metal genres. It's not just a release looking to deliver a series of monstrous riffs (rest assured, they're in there). It's a release capable of slamming together major songwriting shifts without losing any of the momentum and energy that is essential for a successful rock offering. Fans of everything rock 'n roll will have no trouble getting into this. Bottom Line: Clouds' We Are Above You accomplishes two things. First, it reaffirms the general rule of the thumb that everything members of Cave In touch turns to musical gold. And then it exposes much of the stoner/vintage rock scene for its one-dimensional songwriting and lethargic vision. Clouds is just a smarter, livelier, and more innovative band. Period.