Release Date: September 13th 2024. Record Label: The Lasting Dose Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
The Threshold: Tracklisting
1.Cycle Of Delusion 04:22
2.The Threshold
3.Rorschach’s Waltz
4.Dead End
5.Last Train
6.Ghost Town
7.Citadel
8.The Agency
Members
Vocals & Bass Swells – Denis Radoncic
Guitars & Noises – Andre Werk
Percussions & Vocals – Enrico “Rocko” Winkler
Guitars & Organs - Sebi
Review
The Threshold is the new album from Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metallers Caffeine which follows on from their excellent 2018 debut album Serac which I missed the first time round and just listened to recently. Both albums continue on the same Progressive trajectory with The Threshold having a more Psychedelic and Sonic twist. Caffeine will appeal to fans of Mastodon, High On Fire and Neurosis with their music blending world-building storytelling and creative mysticism and THRASH metal inspired grooves.
The record is quite short, precise but ultimately action packed, running around thirty minutes of classic sounding Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal with early touches of Mastodon appearing within the lyrical framework of the whole album. The sound is played at an aggressive fast-paced with a deep sense of melody and Post-Metal intelligence that appears on the stunning opening tracks of Cycle Of Delusion, The Threshold and Rorschach’s Waltz.
Caffeine like the drug they’re named are wonderfully addictive and stimulates other parts of the mind throughout their devilish style of Sludge/Stoner Metal passages that can be quite sonic inducing and Ambient based at times. The whole flow can be quite direct one moment and eerie laidback with overlapping elements of Doom and Post-Rock attitudes before delving back into muscular and testosterone riff-fuelled slabs of pure HEAVY METAL. Caffeine shows a touch of class with their music flirting between Post-Stoner melodies and sludgy hardcore beats on tracks such as Dead End, Ghost Town and The Agency.
The second half of The Threshold is quite abrasive with harsh vocals, punishing grooves and Spaced Out environments that form creatively and naturally with a sense of intelligence that comes as a welcome surprise even if we’ve heard this style of music multiple times before. However, Caffeine has a great talent of their own design and making which left me wanting to hear way more music from them. The album maybe too short for some, however, they pack a lot of great ideas and catchy Sludge Metal dominant sounds throughout.
The Threshold is another outstanding release from The Lasting Dose Records who are making a great name for themselves by releasing a string of first rate releases already this year from bands such as GRIN, EARTH SHIP, DAEVER and HESKEGRAV. Now you can add CAFFEINE to that great list of bands releasing potential contenders for ALBUM OF THE YEAR.
However, this is CAFFEINE’s chance to shine and make a name for themselves within the Sludge/Stoner Metal scene and I can see this album doing great things. As this is an epic and brilliantly observed record with BRAINS and BRAWN to match.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to The Lasting Dose Records and Against PR for the promo.
The Threshold will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via The Lasting Dose Records from Friday 13th September 2024
Links
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