All this from a three-piece from Brisbane? Impressive and it’s only their second album. They called themselves alternative metal on their FB page which I agree with, and have not unrealistically compared themselves with Karnivool, Pink Floyd and Tool, though I’d think more Rush than Floyd if we’re splitting hairs. A strong melodic sensibility (well significantly stronger than the normal underground stuff I normally get anyway), keyboards, heavily compressed riffs and a thumping rhythm section are their trademark and they nail it.
01 Nauthiz – A brawling intro of riffs and sound barrage opens their lead single before it breaks down into showing the singers significant capabilities. This is definitely something that will work live, and even though it’s stripped back at times, there’s plenty of momentum and energy to drive this along. All of these guys sing too, and there are some big, smooth harmonies in this track.
I can see why they chose to open with it, and it was also on the recent Hell on the Bay compilation. The breakdown/change is cool with chunky keyboard bits that give it a sound, not unlike some of the dubstep stuff like Skrillex.
02 Welcome The End – A much slower track with the feeling that you might get in a progressive metal type ballad. It develops into a solid alt-metal track, and the singer pushes his voice into edgier territory.
03 The Virus – Probably one of the more obviously rocking tracks on the album; the riffs start this one with no mistake. The chorus is a huge blast of power before returning back to the power riff chugging. This is the sort of disciplined playing that requires you to be on the ball all the time to keep up with the changes, even if there aren’t hundreds of them.
04 Seraph – The title track shows the depth of these guys. Another huge pumping intro followed by a swing into some interesting structures, as he asks us “what are you waiting for?”
05 Rejection Of Seraph – A very progressive sounding number. This does not just sound like 3 guys jamming in a garage, but a very slick production, which is not a bad thing at all for this type of metal. The crushingly heavy riffs and vocal dynamics have made this song my favourite.
06 Divine – The busiest vocal track on the album, and it’s a bit different from the rest of the tracks. It sounds like a good song for when you see the crowd are looking tired to wake them back up.
Also has a film clip.
07 Mortis Via – This has that typical brooding, building emotional rock feel that CIA do so well. A great number to close on with its didge sounding effect.
Looks like there are some extras on the other versions you can buy too, which are always good for the fans value for money. Production from Tall Poppy is good and with the second album under their belt, CIA has a bright future ahead. Well done.
Cause In Affect: Facebook
Release Year: 2014
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Matt
