After teasing us with a glimpse of their unnerving intensity in late August, UK’s metalcore outfit Cauldron is back with a full-on visual experience. “Standing in Awe of a Monument,” the latest single from their debut full-length album ‘Suicide in the City,’ is more than just a crescendo of grinding guitars and percussive explosions.
Commenting on the track, vocalist Frazer Cassling says: “‘Standing in Awe of a Monument’ is a song about struggling to comprehend something so profound it’s almost alien to you. The monument in the title can refer to anything, but in the context of this song, it refers to watching someone that you love turn into something that you no longer recognise. Something that is complex and unbelievable in its strangeness. This was one of the hardest songs on the album to write and went through many different changes before the version you hear now, but this is definitely the song in its most refined form.”
The upcoming album, slated for a November 3 release, is a concept piece taking its narrative cues from the labyrinthine corridors of mental health.
The work has been shepherded into being by Sam Bloor at Lower Lane Studios, a producer whose mixing desk has balanced the dissonance and melody inherent in Cauldron’s unyielding ethos.
It’s noteworthy that the album also features guest vocals from industry stalwarts Jess Nyx, Scott GHC, and River Elliott.
And let’s not overlook the album art—crafted by Jono Roberts and laid out by Ben Brodie—which speaks volumes in its unsettling visual interpretation of the album’s themes.
Cauldron hasn’t materialized out of thin air. After bursting onto the scene in 2018 with their EP, ‘The Scars of Empty Faith,’ they solidified their audacious approach with 2020’s ‘Last Words: Screamed from Behind God’s Muzzle.’ The band has been nesting under The Coming Strife Records, a label that has been a sanctuary for bands like Renounced and Mourning.
For those eager to inject Cauldron’s fresh dose of sonic savagery into their playlists, ‘Suicide in the City‘ is available for pre-order via The Coming Strife Records in the UK and Ephyra Records in the US. The album has already been mastered by Grant Berry, ensuring that its auditory bite is as lethal as its thematic reach.
While their previous single “Rejection Pact” epitomized pure, aggressive chaos, it concluded with a surprising melodic coda, offering a fragment of light within the surrounding darkness. It’s an intriguing twist, setting a multifaceted emotional terrain for ‘Suicide in the City.’
So, mark your calendars. November 3 is not just another day; it’s the day Cauldron’s ‘Suicide in the City’ drops.
Cauldron live:
Sat 15 Sep – JCHC Zine Hardcore All Dayer, Dundee
Sat 29 Sep – Castlefest, Luton
Sun 08 Oct – Till The Fest, London
Tue 24 Oct – Le Farmer, Lyon FR
Wed 25 Oct – Canadian Cafe, Tours FR
Thu 26 Oct – Trefpunt, Ghent BE
Fri 27 Oct – Sin City Mosh Fest, Hamburg DE
Sat 28 Oct – MK Bar, Belval LUX
Fri 17 Nov – Muthers Studio, Birmingham (album release show)
‘Standing in Awe of a Monument’ Lyrics:
Baby, you’re a shooting star
You shot right past my eyes and right into my spine
But I made a wish on the floorboards of this house
That I’d never gaze on your star fall again
Open your eyes and see the world around you
It’s falling down
Can’t see the world around you
Open your eyes and see the world around you
And draw a blank
Can’t see the world around you
It feels like standing in awe of a monument
Baby, you’re a shooting star
You shot right past my eyes and right into my spine
But I made a wish on the floorboards of this house
That I’d never gaze on your star fall again
I’ve watched you kill yourself
It feels like standing in awe of a monument
I can see you but never understand
I can feel you but never understand
Four blank walls, a record player in the corner
LaBelle fills the room, “if only she knew too”
You keep coming home, I wish you wouldn’t
You keep coming home, I wish you wouldn’t
Open your eyes and see the world around you,
It’s falling down,
Can’t see the world around you
I’ve watched you kill yourself
It feels like standing in awe of a monument
I can see you but never understand
I can feel you but never understand
Good hell, I’ve seen those eyes before
Each lesson of fear I’ve learned in them
You keep coming home
