Review of Cavity - Laid Insignificant (Re-Issue)

It seems that I’m on a streak of reviewing re-releases from semi-seminal doom bands. First was the American reissue of Runemagick’s Dawn of the End, and now comes this expanded version of Cavity’s Laid Insignificant, courtesy of Hydra Head Records. Aaron Turner and company have a long-standing relationship with these now-defunct sludge slingers, having released their final longplayer, and now he’s doctored up this EP with a nicely-done remastering job and a few extra tracks from the recording sessions. This is only my second encounter with Cavity; I heard Supercollider many moons ago but haven’t run into them since. It’s a shame, ‘cause Laid Insignificant’s muck-coated assault is a joy to behold.

I guess this is what people call “sludge” as opposed to doom metal—the monster Sabbathian grooves are here in spades, but these guys have traded the hemp necklaces and knit hoodies for punker gear and way more booze than can possibly be healthy. The most obvious reference point is, of course, Eyehategod. That said, Cavity don’t have that “holy crap, New Orleans is really hot and depressing” brand of sluggish moroseness, but instead opt to infuse way more gnarly hardcore aggression into their songwriting. The result is a nicely balanced album that brings the headbangable power chord riffs in spades but rarely digs in for long before plunging headlong into out-of-control hardcore raving. Witness, for example, “9 Fingers on the Spider.” The song opens with one of the most effective found sample moments I’ve heard in years before slapping the listener around with syncopated drums and staggering guitars. Everything comes crashing to a halt before Cavity lurches into a pure-doom crawl, which in turn gives way to thunderous punk rock. It’s clear that bands like Cursed and Doomriders were listening when these dudes were still around. Vocalist Rene Barge turns in an excellent performance here; though he’s more or less a one-trick pony, he strikes the perfect balance of despondency and disdain with his sneering, irritable howl.

As previously mentioned, Aaron Turner polished Laid Insignificant to an appropriately grimy luster, and the disc features extra tracks “Spine I & II” and the title track. There’s no question that Cavity is a second-tier band, but as a fan of this kind of belligerent metal/punk mutation I’m sure to return to Laid Insignificant in the future. Low concept, high execution—pick this up if you missed it the first time around.

Release Details

Cavity

Laid Insignificant (Re-Issue)

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