Red Cain like it short, intense, and wild. Already the Kindred Series, Act I & II, fascinated the hell out of the grouchy joint – ahem – chain smokers over at the review desk. To the point that some of ’em started fantasizing about meeting Juliet, which – of course – wouldn’t have ended well. A case for the RMR security squad armed with oversized tasers and tranquilizer guns.
And those records always rolled in on a reasonably short airtime of 36-39 minutes or so. All of that filled to the brim with a crazed medley of elements, styles tuned like race cars, and numerous samples concocted by a crew high on adrenaline or something. Short bursts of high-level intensity full of ominous stories and tentacled beings. So, take yer supplements and get ready for the workout. Red Cain are on the prowl again.
At roughly 37 minutes of playtime, the strangely named NÄE’BLISS follows its predecessors in the same vein. Yet, that’s where the similarities start to fade. First and foremost, the Zayarny/Gibson/Corbett trio morphed into a five-piece. Kalie Yan newly joined the band for growls and bass together with Samuel Ridout for additional guitars. And it shows. You’ll find an uptick in intensity1 and a rough-hewn rawness not present on Red Cain‘s former pieces. In other words, there ain’t much left of that Kamelot-esque influence. No more crooning from Kobra and weird kinda sweetish keys with a retro flavor. Because now, it’s all bulging muscle and full power ahead. And that’s an improvement in my book, NÄE’BLISS‘ predecessor had us secretly worried to a point with its Power Metal leaning airs.
The record finds inspiration in the netherworld of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series2 which – again – fits the overall direction Red Cain has taken so far. From tentacled space monsters to a new world fighting the epic battle of good vs. evil? Quite. And – as always – a great storyline invariably improves a record.
Fisher King still somewhat wallows in the old undercurrents of the former two records, abject complexity included. Yet, once NÄE’BLISS attacks the second track – Blight – an aggressive prog spiel with a taste for hardcore appears. A trait that wasn’t quite that apparent on Kindred: Act II, or any of them Red Cain records for that matter. And – yet again – Evgeniy Zayarny showcases that uncanny knack to inject power into a usually much softer genre. On the other hand, Yan‘s watery grating growls couldn’t quite warm our ice-cold metal hearts (The Great Hunt, We Are Chaos). The lack of real ferocity just failed to fire up our metalhead genes, supplements or not.
But – the added guitar power truly shows. NÄE’BLISS positively gorges with burly riffs, stellar solos, and a shredfest from a 7-string guitar that often dangerously sounds like a technical study by Vvon Dogma I (Sightblinder, We Are Chaos again). And this adds a real tech metal flavor on top of an already truly strong progressive drive throughout the record. And again, the band hardly lost that tendency to pile tons of different elements and samples into the fray. Complexity that somehow never gets out of control, one of the major strong traits Red Cain brings to the turntable.
Ultimately though, the RMR crew relished the increased power NÄE’BLISS throws at the fanbase. Gone are those tendencies to flail messily about sugary sweet shores many a Power Metal band already shipwrecked on. Instead, increased technical prowess and juicy purpose saw the light of day in that fantasy world of theirs. In fact, you’ll still feel the mighty pull of Power Metal all over the record. But the progressive parts now start to encroach on soundscapes bands like Haken or Caligula’s Horse3 usually usurp. And that leaves us with an uncannily savvy power prog mix with an unholy urge for unusual extreme metal undercurrents on full display.
And that led – yet again – to overheated turntables over at the RMR office tower. Red Cain are back and in full swing yet again, feisty as ever. And as well they should be. So, where’s that bookshop? Robert Jordan’s fantasy lore’s beckoning us.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Self-Released | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 2 June 2023