Those Who Deny

Caulfield's "Untitled" LP is without a doubt my favorite LP released in 2010. To describe it in the most simplest terms, imagine if Integrity had a threesome with His Hero Is Gone and Neurosis. You get slow, brooding, sludgy sections and aggressive hardcore bits with shouted vocals and driving guitar work.

This record took me by surprise - a very welcomed surprise in retrospect. "Untitled" was included in one of Dom's pre-order packages, amidst bands like Pale Creation and Integrity. The cover, which is an old time portrait, seemed interesting enough, but nothing stood out. How wrong I was. My A389 package came and the LP was filed away into the "To-Listen-To" pile. Some time passed and I was in the mood for something new ergo I dug deep into the vault and found this beast, still sealed. After opening the protective sleeve, I immediately knew I was an idiot for sleeping on the band.

The cover that I thought was boring turned out to be perfect: it's stark yet morose, fitting well with the plain black vinyl and minimalistic sleeve. My favorite thing about this release, besides the music of course, is the booklet that came with it. Beautiful pseudo-Middle Ages artwork accompanies the lyrics, creating this great arcane feel. To top everything off, the booklet has an excerpt from Roy Walker's "The Golden Feast".

Lyrically, the band is leagues above most. There is a level of sophistication that is very respectable. But, make no mistake, there is a layer of anger and hate that explodes throughout the album. "Those Who Deny" deals with themes such as overpopulation and religious violence; "Set Fire To The Heavens" is an intense assault on religion, ending with: "Thousands of years of genocide - In the name of the Holy Ghost - Our time has come to arise from the depths - Set your Bastard God ablaze." It's quite clear what the band is getting at.

Like I said above, there is a heavy Neurosis/His Hero Is Gone vibe on "Untitled". Things start off slowly with an instrumental opener titled "The Storm" before launching into the eleven minute epic "Those Who Deny". On the flip-side, "Interlude" provides a moment of respite before the album's fourth track "Set Fire To The Heavens". Caulfield's debut LP closes with another instrumental number, "Holy Storm". This recording reminds me of Fall Of Efrafa's demo tape; it's raw and grimy yet has enough polish to make it stand out in a sea of mediocre crust/d-beat/hardcore bands.

It's a damn shame that this LP is under the radar. That said, I cannot wait to hear new material from Caulfield. I know it should be an unspoken thing, but if you like the music, support the band. Caulfield has shirts still available, including a gnarly design that has "Ritual Bong Worship" written on it. A389 is sold-out regarding this LP, but you can purchase a digital copy for under $6. By the way, the band has its demo and a split with Florentine Camerata available for downloading on their blogspot.

Caulfield is a band that reminds me why I love music. (It also doesn't hurt the band is the same name as one of my favorite literary characters)