Caveat-Kobyashi Maru

When you are an artist of any medium you expose yourself. Particularly when you release any product of your creative endeavour.  Even as a reviewer you are liable to a difference of opinions from those that read your musings. The home studio has become so affordable in recent years that many bands have come to our attention that would otherwise still slumber. However, just because you have the faculty to record and release music (or any art for that matter) doesn’t always dictate you should.

Caveat fall firmly into this category. The (re-)release of their ep Kobyashi Maru is realistically a collection of ideas. Being blunt, it is not to me a fully formed ep. There are some very strong Red Fang style riffs, good atmospheric black metal passages some interesting arrangements but nothing that really evokes a consistent response throughout an entire song. Any feeling of atmosphere seems to wade in and out. Out of the 28 mins or so of music there is probably the guts of  2 songs that would be brilliant. And, as seen with Bolzer, two songs on an ep is all thats needed if the songs are there. It starts off well enough with the title track Kobyashi Maru, building slowly to a ‘Baroness’-esque rocker full of groove. Following hot on the heels is Space Weed, much in the vain of Krux or Brant Bjork’s solo albums. Unfortunately after this Caveat lose their way, and their EP essentially becomes a sketchpad. There is no reason why any of what is on offer here could not be further developed.

To be perfectly honest, with some more focus on song writing and less on releasing product Caveat could be a name on the lips of the underground metal scene for years to come. Kobyashi Maru will not be the ep that does it though.