Melbourne sludge/post-hardcore band Cascades invite you into the sounds of hell with a warm, heavy welcome. They power their brand of crushingly thunderous hardcore with adventurous songwriting and rich emotion, creating one of the most invigorating and boundary-testing metal albums we’ve heard this year.
We’re excited to see these guys continue their stride into the progressive, yet miserable realm of hardcore and metal. It’ll be a treat to witness them build on this golden unique sound that they’ve struck on their debut release.
The band have offered up a mammoth of a playlist of what they’re spinning in their downtime. Each track provides its own esotericism, whether it be drone, post-metal or just general experimental weird stuff (just how we like it at AAC):
Sam O (Guitar)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Sleep Is Wrong
“One of the bands that got me really thinking about music differently.”
The Infants – Stranger
“Much missed defunct psych/post punk act from Melbourne. Almost unnerving at times, yet you can’t help nodding along.”
The Spectacle – When Every Move Is Anticipated
“GREAT band from the early/mid 2000s that heavily influenced my writing, and continues to do so.”
Ween – Ocean Man
“Nothing fills me with as much joy as much as Ween can. I listened to this song at least 52 times last year.”
Sam F (Synths)
Earth – Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine
“Behemoth drone from the originators.”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Motherfucker = ‘Redeemer part 2’
“Instrumental post-rock at its finest, a soundtrack for the end times.”
Stars of the Lid – Be Little with Me
“Meditative/orchestral guitar drone love-songs.”
Labradford – Banco
“Morricone inspired eeriness meets early 90’s space rock with spoken word.”
Toby (Drums)
Kowloon Walled City – True Believer
“There is so much space in this record, everything hangs for as long as possible.”
Krallice – IIIIIII
“The second song off Years Past Matter is peak Krallice for me. Swirling melodies coupled with harsh desperation.”
Neurosis – The Eye Of Every Storm
“The most restrained record by Neurosis, it’s so miserable and so beautiful.”
Conation – Goodbye Nostalgia
“Conation were the first band that got me thinking about politics and my place in the world. It’s amazing how furious a band can sound when they’re actually furious, not just fitting a template.”
Liam (Guitar)
Fugazi – Instrument
“The best band ever, in my opinion. People talk about the politics and the ethics of the band, but the songwriting and experimentation and arranging was incredible. This is such a sinister, simmering song… It lumbers along building momentum until THAT outro riff. Desperate. Ugly. Vital.”
Des Ark – Ties
“Heavy, beautiful, strong, vulnerable. Aimée Collet Argote’s vocals and guitar work threaten to fall apart at any moment. This is how you hit hard with a whisper.”
SUMAC – Blackout
“Dynamics are often forgotten in heavy music. SUMAC is pushing hard at the edges of the ‘heavy’ envelope, and I love it. Tempos are spun out and dragged elastically and the tension is rarely broken until the catharsis of the later passages of this song.”
Pianos Become The Teeth – Say Nothing
“This record is an exercise in arranging, restraint and power. Take this album closer. The structure is perfect. It builds and builds, then drops to a whisper. So good.”
Max (Bass)
Portishead – Threads
“Portishead are so good at portraying anxiety and emptiness through their music, I love the lazy sounding guitar line in this song, and the plodding tired feeling coming from the rhythm section.”
The Cure – Disintegration
“I’ve been listening to The Cure since my mother showed me how to use a cassette player, they’ve been been an influence throughout my whole life.”
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – The Freedom Club
“SGM has to be one of my favourite bands, whenever I’m musically stuck I think of these guys, they seem to have their own world going on, their music is so fearless in its creativity, they remind me that I can do whatever the fuck I want with my art.”
PJ Harvey – Dress
“PJ Harvey’s debut album has always been my favourite. It’s so raw and energetic, such an amazing performance from the whole band. This song makes me want to drum.”
Written by Max Jacobson
CASCADES self-titled debut is out now on Art As Catharsis.
“Richly textured progressive sludge that alternately creeps like boiling pitch laced with splintered bone and soars like a mercury tsunami. Sublime in the proper sense of the word. Probably a record of the year.”
