Picking up where 30 Seconds to Mars left off on their
eponymous debut, Cage9 adds the immersive troposphere of Starset’s
Transmissions to the mix on their
latest,
Illuminator. The result is
nonetheless engulfing; a sonic meld of dense layers of atmospherics (“Open Your
Eyes,” “Illuminator”) and heavy alt-rock backed by steady prog undercurrents (“Starry
Eyes,” “Take Back Tomorrow”). Massive lead single “Everything You Love Will
Someday Die” pays homage to Coheed and Cambria’s “Welcome Home” with grandiose
riffing and towering hooks, while the equally stunning “Oscuro” follows suit
with chugging riffs and infectious melodies, but there is much more to be
discovered on
Illuminator. Like
peeling away the layers of an onion, notable moments are unearthed as
Illuminator wears on (“Aleatorcism” and
“Death Of A Dragon” sound like long lost Incubus tracks, Cage9 flexes the
breadth of their chops on “Birds of Prey,” one of the albums heaviest outings, frontman
Evan Rodaniche is a dead ringer for Godhead’s Jason Miller on the punchy “Martyr”).
Illuminator never loses steam and
doesn’t fade, which speaks to how strong of a record it really is.
Grade: A-
Go Download: “Everything You Love Will Someday Die”
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