Cloakroom – Infinity (Run For Cover)
A few red flags popped up in my head when I was asked to review the debut release from a band called Cloakroom. References were made to stoner metal crossed with emo, each fine on their own but the thoughts of someone trying to amalgamate Sleep and Rites of Spring into a listenable entity sent a shiver down my spine. Second was that Cloakroom feature members of former pop punk bands, Doyle Martin was in the Grown Ups, and pop punk is most definitely no longer my cup of tea (no offence intended to anyone who does like it of course). Pop-punks playing stoner-emo! I usually try to take as little notice of genre labels as possible but this filled me with an ominous sense of foreboding. However, I’m an open minded sort of chap and the fact that Cloakroom had been signed by Run For Cover Records (home to lo-fi indie punks Pity Sex, Seattle hardcore mob Shook Ones, and acoustic artist and activist Koji) was a good sign and so I agreed to write a review. With a sense of trepidation I clicked on the play button.
It’s no understatement to say that my worries were completely unfounded, Cloakroom are good – really really fuckin’ good. A listen to their debut release, Infinity, brings to mind an instant comparison to New York slowcore legends Codeine; both in tone and their use of measured tempo. Like Codeine, or fellow legends Slint, Cloakroom aren’t afraid of distortion, nor are they afraid to let rip and go wild, although when they do it’s heavier than either of those two bands largely in part to the monster bass that pervades Infinity. It’s still not metal though, not even in a Neurosis or Jesu kind of way; a parallel to early Mogwai would be much more apt.
Infinity is five tracks and opens with the nine minute long “Sedimentary” which takes up near enough a third of the release. Typically slowcore, the song opens to a sparse, yet enchanting, guitar melody and drums while it leisurely builds layers of sound until it crashes into a wave of distorted bass and tortured guitar. Once the crescendo has reached its peak “Sedimentary” retreats back to a simple bass line and ethereal guitar overlaid with electronic fuzz and rumblings which creates a density of sound that recalls the sensual atmospheres of My Bloody Valentine’s “No More Sorry” or “All I Need”. Next up is “E” a far more sprightly, to begin with anyway, college indie rock affair with a quiet – loud dynamic and it wastes little time before stomping on the pedals and letting loose with the fuzz and feedback.
“Dream Journal” is the shortest track on the mini-album, at a little over two and a half minutes, but it’s not an interlude, nor is it a filler track. It starts off with sampled dialogue and sparse guitar strumming before soon giving way to huge dirty bass and crashing cymbals with stabbing spikes of guitar feedback; given its intensity the fact that is it so brief actually works in the song’s favour. “Bending” rumbles nicely through its first 4 or so minutes before unleashing a spiralling guitar solo and then promptly dropping off into a quagmire of growling bass and tensely volatile and discordant guitar. Rounding off Infinity is the uncompromisingly intense “Mynd Funeral” with its arcing walls of sound, the song pounds its way through five of the most menacing and dark minutes of music you’ll hear this year.
Cloakroom don’t sound like any other band; the comparisons I’ve made to Codeine, Mogwai and Slint are all valid and fans of any of those bands would be well advised to check out Cloakroom. However, Cloakroom take the basic blueprint of those bands and add to it creating something that is in places far heavier, ominous and dark than anything the aforementioned bands put out. Cloakroom appear to have taken the decision to be deliberately difficult and it’s hard to pigeonhole them, at times they stray into post-rock territory and the guitar and vocals are reminiscent of Codeine in places, hence the slowcore comparison. The band have a keen ear for melody but use it sparingly, they rock out but you can’t do much more than nod your head to it, they have a deft touch but choose to bludgeon you with sound. Of course the band should also be applauded for being a unique and challenging listen which I shall do with a rightly deserved 8.8/10.
Ian Weiss
Tour Dates (some venues TBA):
07/17 Indianapolis, IN
07/18 Louisville, KY
07/19 Columbus, OH @ 1427 House
07/20 Blacksburg, VA @ I Got Brains Fest
07/21 Lehigh Valley, PA
07/22 Brooklyn, NY @ Acheron w/ Sneeze
07/23 Boston, MA @ TT the Bears
07/24 Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
07/25 Toronto, ON
07/26 Detroit, MI
07/27 Kalamazoo, MI
07/28 Chicago