published: 9 /
11 /
2007
Label:
Hydrahead
Format: CD
Psychedelic-influenced debut album from Pet Genius, which sees Stephen Brodsky and JR Conners from much acclaimed alternative rock/metal band Cave In back together
Review
Pet Genius is the latest incarnation for Stephen Brodsky of Cave In. Having put out a great album with his last project Octave Museum and subsequent European tour earlier this year, Brodsky has been keeping himself busy.
While Brodsky was touring and playing with Octave Museum, his fellow Cave In band mates also had their own side projects. These included guitarist Adam McGrath's Clouds, who toured with Octave Museum, and also Doom Riders which was the brain child of drummer JR Conners. Cave In bassist Caleb Scofield completed the side projects with his band Zozobra. This time around we see two of the Cave In fellows reunite with JR Conners joining Brodsky on Pet Genius' self-titled album.
Pet Genius see the sound of Cave In, Octave Museum and Doom Riders pretty much melted into one. Pet Genius has the trippy and whimsical style that Octave Museum had, and dreamy tunes and up beat melodies with a hint of Beatles at their most psychedelic. Then just when you’re on a wave thundering guitars come crashing in. This at times is as heavy as Cave In got, and it has a grungy feel to it.
Opening track ‘Doomsday’ opens up with massive-sounding guitars. Lighter moments of the album appear here and there and bring the feel of the album back to the more mellow approach we saw with Octave Museum and its cheeky choruses and distinctive melodies, especially on ‘Cosmic Erosion’ and ‘Float My Boat’. There is also some incredibly creative guitar work on show in ‘The Visiting Diameter’ with yet more nods to the psychedelic sounds that are at large throughout.
The heavier songs such as 'Doomsday' are guitar driven enough to rock, but not so heavy as to over shadow the lighter songs.
My favourite track, 'Man on the Mountain', starts off on an acoustic guitar before raging riffs burst in. This is a good album that blends everything together perfectly without over using any of its styles. It is great to see two of the Cave In members back together.
Track Listing:-
1
Doomsday
2
The Visiting Dynamiter
3
Walls Of Etiquette
4
Man Of The Mountain
5
Float My Boat
6
Emit Fo Deeps Eht Esare
7
Erase The Speed Of Time
8
Cosmic Erosion
9
Trash Heap Swing
10
Chromatic Blues
11
Scrapyard King