The Fall of the Damned

vote
7.0

• Band:
  Caged
• Duration: 00:22:12
• Available from: 25/04/2025
• Label:

• Genet Records

At two and a half years away from the good debut “A Prison Built to Slowly Die”, the Caged return with “The Fall of the Damned”, an EP that does not change course, but rather reiterates with even more decision the identity of the Emilian band. The group therefore remains faithful to that old -fashioned metalcor – or Edge Metal, as it was called in these parts at the time – which has its roots both in the Earth Crisis and Morning Again and in the well -known Italian and Belgian scene of the late nineties and the first two thousand, carrying out a sound that someone could consider anachronistic, but which is still able to transmit a disruptive force.
Also in this new sortie, the Caged show that they have very clear ideas on what they want to play: riffs full -bodied by clear metal matrix, a rhythmic section that prefers mostly compact midtempo and an angry, visceral vocal approach, which never gives up the hardcore legacy. The group manages to balance tension and groove, avoiding monotony thanks to a good variety of rhythmic and structural solutions. There is no shortage of more tight and furious storage, which seem to draw directly from the legacy of the Slayers, inserted with wisdom to give dynamism and further bite to the songs without distorting the heart of the proposal.
Just as in the debut, there is no desire to innovate at all costs: “The Fall of the Damned” instead aims to consolidate a style that has solid bases and that leverages an authentic passion. Caged play this music with the transport of who is, even before musician, a devoted fan of a scene that has marked an era and that, in spite of trendy changes, continues to survive in the underground circuit. It is this genuineness that emerges overwhelmingly from the new job, making listening engaging and credible.
On a strictly stylistic level, the writing of the pieces appears more thoughtful than in the debut, with a more dark climate and an intelligent management of the changes of atmosphere, confirming a natural growth that does not betray the original matrix.
Ultimately, “The Fall of the Damned” is the confirmation that CAGED are now a solid reality within the Italian and non -Italian panorama. Those who have appreciated “A Prison Built to Slowly Die” will find here everything he had liked, with a slightly more plumbeo touch in the mood and in the sound yield. This is not a sensational leap forward, nor of a sound revolution – things that were not required – but of an effective consolidation, made with passion, consistency and undoubted competence in this area.