Caustic Casanova - Glass Enclosed Nerve Center (Album Review)

Date Released: October 07th 2022. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Glass Enclosed Nerve Center: Tracklisting

1.Anubis Rex 04:36

2.Lodestar 03:41

3.A Bailar Con Cuarentena 04:43

4.Shrouded Coconut

5.Bull Moose Against The Sky

Members

Francis Beringer – vocals, bass

Stefanie Zænker – vocals, drums, percussion

Andrew Yonki – guitar

Jake Kimberley – guitar

Review

Sludge/Stoner Rockers Caustic Casanova return with their strangest album yet. Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is awash with Progressive Sludge/Stoner Rock passages and sometimes far out Experimental creative themes. The music is also lively and vastly different to what we've heard from the band before. If you're a longtime fan of the band then you know the score. If you're new to their wild and crazy world then Caustic Casanova plays vast different styles from the Sludge/Stoner Metal underground world. The music is never the same and the band are perhaps more creatively aligned to The Melvins but draw familiar sounds such as Red Fang, KYLESA, Baroness and Torche into their crazy intense world.

Opening song Anubis Rex is a happy-go-lucky song with an almost 90's Alt Rock and POPPY feel but with a free-flowing Prog Rock attitude allowing the band to play one of the more friendlier songs. There's plenty riffs here that sees the band have mini extended jams when the later grooves appear. The dual vocals of Stefanie and Francis are superb with fantastic lyrics and spiky vocals working fantastically well with the heavy melodic sounds the band play for this song.

Second song Lodestar is a more fast-paced Punk/Sludge song with distorted ambient and glitchy noises perhaps having the first standout EXPERIMENTAL moment of the album that has a slight The Melvins vibe. Subtle hints of Psych Rock and Post-Rock appeal when Stefanie's lush sounding vocals appear before the song changes into a more sinister offering with the downbeat lyrics that could be classed as Occult Rock. The jangly guitars are heavy and bring a more solitary feel for the entire song.

Third song A Bailar Con Cuarentena opens with a Start/Stop Punk approach before moving into Experimental Art Rock/Stoner Rock territory. The instrumental work is excellent yet again with an Alt Rock/Metal creative influence within the lyrics and musical beats the band play here. Add Jazzy Psychedelic and Funk based grooves to this song and Caustic Casanova only become crazier and more intense with their different strands of Hard Rock that appears here. 

Shrouded Coconut offers almost 10 minutes of intense Experimental Sludge/Stoner Rock riffage that easily has the best riffs on the album that flirts between Jazz Rock rhythms and Heavy Prog Rock sounds. You can expect moments of Freaky Psychedelics and Warped Electronica glitches towards the later stages of the song where the whole atmosphere becomes more DOOM based. 

Bull Moose Against The Sky is perhaps Caustic Casanova's finest creative moment. As the band have their “Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band” or “Pet Sounds” moment with this part of the album and that's down to the many different sounds and genres of rock they've employed for this track. I mean that as a compliment. This is a 22 minute Progressive Sludge/Stoner Rock opera that's quite easy to follow and fall in love with. The song can be scarily loud when it needs to be but also sweet natured as well.

Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is a record that requires multiple listens to fully understand it all. As it's quite a multi-layered album which I wouldn't expect anything less from Caustic Casanova. The album has wonderful production values that helps the band get their crazy and hypnotic sounds over the finishing line with first rate results.

This is Caustic Casanova's best album to date. No question. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Red Lead PR, Purple Sage PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the promo.

Glass Enclosed Nerve Center will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records from October 07th 2022.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Caustic Casanova - Lodestar (Single Review)

Release Date: July 2022. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Lodestar - Tracklisting

Lodestar

Members

FRANCIS BERINGER -Bass, Vocals

STEFANIE ZAENKER - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

ANDREW YONKI-  Guitar

JAKE KIMBERLEY - Guitar

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metal Experimentalists Caustic Casanova will return with their 5th album Glass Enclosed Nerve Center on October 7th 2022 and the band have just released their first single - Lodestar.

The track is quintessential Caustic Casanova with its freaky use of Psychedelic Beats, Sludge Grooves and Stoner Metal menace. Perhaps moving away from the Prog Riffs heard on the last album and embracing a more straight up Hard Rock philosophy. The guitars are razor sharp with the band moving between Spaced Out Interludes that merge into areas of Grunge and upbeat Gloomy madness.

The vocals from Stefanie and Francis have a wonderful interplay between them before joining up for some striking singalong vocal passages. The music moves between KYLESA fast paced sounds before adding that eerie Prog Rock weirdness that the band are well known for. 

Caustic Casanova brings a more distorted feeling and flow to the song that gives the track a heavier presence that could be classed as Drone Rock/Metal in places. 

Lodestar is a wonderful track and shows Caustic Casanova doing what they do best and that is being one of the most inventive and original bands within the underground scene. On this evidence, their new album might be their heaviest and strongest work to date. Roll on October 7th.

Words by Steve Howe

Glass Enclosed Nerve Center will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records from July 22nd 2022.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Caustic Casanova - God How I Envy The Deaf (Album Review)

Release date: October18th 2019. Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

God How I Envy The Deaf – Tracklisting

1.Fancy English 06:00

2.Filth Castle 05:10

3.If Your Brain is Properly Oiled 04:47

4.Memory King 05:45

5.Donut and the Golden Hen 02:57

6.Taos Lightning 04:33

7.Truth Syrup 05:12

8.Roger B. Taney (Feat. Emily Danger) 05:52

9.Boxed and Crated 10:00

Members

FRANCIS BERINGER - Bass, Vocals

STEFANIE ZAENKER - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

ANDREW YONKI - Guitar

JAKE KIMBERLEY - Guitar

Review

God How I Envy The Deaf is the 3^rd from Noise/Sludge/Stoner/Psych Rockers Caustic Casanova and it features all their trademark riffs and dark humour that they’ve made their own within their almost 14 year career. Caustic Casanova have always pushed the boundaries of their music with each record they’ve released ever since their formation back in 2006. Though this album is perhaps their most daring and creative to date but also perhaps being their most accessible to date a well, Making it easy for first time listeners to enjoy the wild ride the band have in store for everyone.

The album is packed full of heavy sounding riffs that stretch the boundaries of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal but with Sludge, Doom, Stoner and Noise Rock being the main strengths the band have made their name with. The Psychedelic grooves hold everything together and allows Caustic Casanova to push their music into different musical directions than ever before.

The songs are packed full of rich inventive ideas where the music moves effortlessly from one genre to the next without losing it’s Psychedelic edge or focus.

Opening song – Fancy English – is a combination of 90s Noise/Grunge Rock sounds with a dark pop sensibility moving further into Heavy Sludge Rock vibes and fantastic vocals from Stefanie and Francis as well. The Alternative Rock/Metal flavour of the song bodes well for the rest of the album but this song also shows the creative lengths the band aim for the majority of the album.

Second song – Filth Castle – offers a more jangled and unsettled Noise Rock approach with a Punk Rock sensibility shining through. The heavy sludgy and stoner sounding guitars is quite experimental places but it shows why Caustic Casanova have never been afraid to take risks with their music. You can hear influences diverse as The Melvins, The B-52’s and Talking Heads on this song. Well I can but I could be looking too much into that. However, this is weird and addictive slice of Hard Rock that shows you the different styles of music the band will play on this record.

Third song – If Your Brain Is Properly Oiled – opens with a troubling Sludge groove before traces of Psychedelic sounds appear for a more threatening and aggressive approach. This is one of the standout songs on the album with aggressive lyrics having a more gloomier effect. There is some wicked dark humour with the lyrics as well but it’s the music that holds your attention.

Fourth song – The Memory King – is another wonderfully sounding epic from the band with a more laid back approach with hazy guitars slowly building upto a powerful and heavy rhythm. The vocals are more withdrawn but it draws you into Caustic Casanova dark world. The music is quite LO-FI in places but still sounding fresh and dramatically heavy when the moment calls for it. The song sees the band draw on their Post-Hardcore roots that build up to a highly dramatic finish.

Caustic Casanova carry on their dark and twisted style of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal for the remaining 6 songs left on the album but still offering a few delicious and heavy surprises along the way. The music becomes even weirder on the 2^nd half of the album with different strands of Psychedelic Rock, Sludge Metal and Stoner Metal giving way to a more Progressive sound.

Other cool songs to check out are: Donut and The Golden Hen, Taos Lightning, Roger B. Taney and the gloriously insane final song – Boxed And Crated.

God How I Envy The Deaf is a stunning album on all levels with top-notch production showing folks what Caustic Casanova do so brilliantly well. This album proves that Caustic Casanova are a brilliant and original band in their own right. There is no other band like them around at this moment in time and this album is perhaps their best album to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Caustic Casanova - Pantheon: Volume 3 (EP Review)

Release date: November 30th 2018. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Pantheon: Volume 3 – Tracklisting

1.Clown Butter 03:05

2.Everyone's Goddamn Business 04:00

3.Stampede 03:55

4.God Luck and Good Speed 09:15

Members

Andrew Yonki - guitar/vocals

Stefanie Zaenker - drums/percussion/vocals/dolphin training/piano

Francis Beringer - bass/vocals

Review

Pantheon: Volume 3 is the third chapter of Caustic Casanova “Pantheon” series which they started originally back in 2014. The original idea behind “Pantheon” according to the band’s BandCamp Page is:

“Caustic Casanova's first in a series of 7 inches featuring an original song on one side, a cover on the other, and artwork paying tribute to the band being covered.”

That description is from there first Pantheon release which paid tribute to Pentagram. The second chapter released in 2017 paid tribute to The Melvins. The 3^rd chapter pays tribute to Weedeater.

I’ve been a fan of Caustic Casanova for the last few years since I reviewed their last full length album Breaks back in 2015. Their music is very hard describe. As they include nearly every genre of Heavy Music going. Sludge, Stoner, Punk, Noise, Psych, Progressive and even Indie Rock.

This band are always changing their style and it’s always a delight to listen what they come up with next. On Volume 3, the band offer 3 songs that is perhaps some of their heaviest and most twisted music to date. The music is a lo-fi and nightmarish vision of Doom, Psych, Noise, Grunge, Alt Rock and even Jazz. That’s the impression I receive with the superb opening song – Clown Butter.

The other two original songs – Everyone’s Goddamn Business and Stampede – takes influence from the bands earlier releases but it has a more modern Sludge Rock groove. The music is fast-paced and has a sense of urgency to it all.

People will perhaps be here for the main attraction and that is the fantastic cover of Weedeater classic – God Luck and Good Speed. Caustic Casanova offer a unique take on this classic song. This version is on twice as long as the original. As the band strip everything back and add a more drone based sound compared to the original. The band even add swirling psychedelic riffs to the song and make it their own song. This is one of the most interesting and best covers I’ve heard in some time.

Pantheon: Volume 3 is another winning record from Caustic Casanova. I hope there is a full length album coming out soon. As 20 minutes is not long enough to satisfy my cravings for new music from this great band.

If you’re new to the world of Caustic Casanova then this is the best place to start. Open your mind and enjoy the awesome weirdness of CAUSTIC CASANOVA.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Caustic Casanova - Breaks (Album Review)

Release date: September 25th 2015. Label: Retro futurist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Breaks – Tracklisting

1.Thundersnow 07:27

2.Show Some Shame 04:04

3.Elect My Best Friend for a Better World 09:27

4.Quezalteca Deathswitch Blues 04:42

5.The Forgiveness Machine 06:38

6.No Sky July 09:34

7.The Painted Desert 12:26

Band Members:

Francis Beringer - bass/vocals

Stefanie Zaenker - drums/vocals

Andrew Yonki - guitar

Review:

Caustic Casanova is a band I’ve just came across when I was sent their new album – Breaks to review. Caustic Casanova has been round since 2005. Wow. And I’ve never heard of them until now. Oh well, better late than never. Newly signed to Kylesa record label – Retro Futurist, their new album – Breaks is one that’s very hard to describe. Parts Sludge, Doom, Stoner, Psych, Noise Rock and even Indie Rock. Caustic Casanova has there own approach to heavy based music. If you’re a fan of Kylesa, Torche and Helms Alee then you better check this album out now as Breaks is a sheer heavy musical delight from start to finish.

Opening track – Thundersnow – has a heavy sludge rock approach though it has a lovely psychedelic pop feel that Torche/Floor are known for. The dual vocals of Stephanie and Francis give this song an exciting lo-fi post-punk vibe as the band will confuse and delight you in equal measure. The album has quite a schizophrenic feel as the band throw almost every kind of heavy rock genre at you. The band even includes traces of Space Rock towards the end of the song. You can see why they were signed to Retro Futurist as they have a lot in common with Kylesa. It’s a fantastic sound which the rest of the album follows.

Second track – Show Some Shame – is an upbeat Sludge/Stoner/Psych Rock number with fast-paced guitars and spiky pop based vocals courtesy of Francis. Stephanie’s drumming is a constant threat through out and when the dual vocals return you can’t help thinking this band would be brilliant touring partners for Torche. It’s perhaps the recognisable Doom/Sludge pop vibe that Torche is known for but Caustic Casanova create their own style of addictive sludge pop. This is one of the albums standout tracks.

Third track – Elect My Best Friend For A Better World – as you may tell from the title itself is a more personal and bleaker tale compared to the opening two tracks. It’s a doomier affair with intricate post-punk riffs that slowly builds the atmosphere for the heavier riffs to come crashing in. It does take time for them to appear but the song runs for 9:30 mins and it’s a highly emotional song. Once the Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs arrive you’re confronted with a bleak atmosphere as the band has written bleak lyrics that have power to bring a tear to your eye. Though the power of the riff compels me more to go into full HEADBANGING mode and I’m ashamed to say that I did.

Fourth track – Quezalteca Deathswitch Blues – may have a crazy title and one that only Caustic Casanova knows the true meaning of. The band switch musical gears yet again. This is more of a Doom/Post-Punk/Stoner sound with the dual vocals having an Indie Rock vibe. The vocals maybe quite jarring for some to enjoy but I dig them as these vocals have passion and an identity all of their own.

Fifth track – The Forgiveness Machine – opens with a thumping bass line before the usual sludgy/doomy guitars kick in. It’s played at a deliberate slow-pace with Francis’s vocals being the main focus whilst the music becomes heavier and more psychedelic as time passes by.

The last two songs – No Sky July and The Painted Desert – take up 21 minutes of the albums run time and both perhaps contain the albums heaviest sounds and more far-out ideas as Caustic Casanova in creating a surreal trippy psychedelic vibe, The sounds drift from Post-Punk, Space, Stoner, Sludge and Doomy atmospherics whilst offering a bleak pop sensibility. Yeah it can be confusing at times but you’re never bored for a second. Even I don’t know what is going on from time to time but that’s what makes this album so exciting. It dares to be different from other albums out there.

Breaks is a surreal and psychedelic out-of-control sludge riff fest and one that can be classed as one of the most innovative albums of the year. I had low expectations for this album and I always love albums more that not only defy genre conventions but my own expectations as well. Yeah, I loved this album. Breaks is going to end up as one of my fave records of 2015.

Thanks to Michelle at Noisy Ghost PR for the promo. Breaks is available to buy now on CD/DD from Retro Futurist Records. Vinyl will be released via Retro Futurist Records at a later date.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp