With 2019’s Schlagenheim, Black Midi proved themselves to be an anomaly within the modern rock scene. They somehow took almost every possible context within the genre and twisted and skewered them into oblivion. It was the most ferocious debut I’ve ever heard in my life. However, I had one question afterwards: where could they possibly go next? 2021’s Cavalcade answers that question with ease.
Before I dive into the tracks themselves, I’ll mention one thing, and that is that the absence of lead guitarist/noise maker, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin. Having announced a while ago that he was taking a break from the band due to personal reasons, he also confirmed that he does not have any part in the recording of this album. While it definitely didn’t detract from the quality of the record as the band filled in with Kaidi Akinnibi on saxophone and Seth Evans on piano, Matt’s blown out fuzz tones and screeching, piercing guitar feedback was sorely missed throughout the record.
But, as I mentioned, Akinnibi and Evans blow themselves out the water with their work on Cavalcade. The first track and lead single, “John L”, is a prime example. Also being the one track accompanied by Jerskin Fendrix on violin, the strings and horns play with vocalist Geordie Greep’s chromatic and chaotic guitar perfectly. Greep’s words describe a chaotic scene as a medieval king pays a visit to a poor village, spouting Nationalist rhetoric as the townspeople heed every word with uncomfortable enthusiasm.
“And a red bulb hangs over the throne that has been found
This is the scene on Main street when John Fifty comes to town”
The rumbling bass, pacing drums and occasional piano smashing add to the absolute bedlam of the song, before we’re thrown into… a free jazz jam session. This is the most we’ve seen these members just shred and it’s glorious, particularly Greep’s atonal guitar riffing. As an opening track, it perfectly shows the extent of the band’s capabilities, and you’re almost nervous going into the next track, fearing what they might do next.
But then we get thrown one of the biggest musical left hooks of the year: a melodic guitar ballad in the form of track “Marlene Dietrich”. Greep’s vocals are melodic and gentle, Morgan Simpson’s usually relentless drumming is dialled back to a soft, almost samba-like rhythm, and the band is backed by a gorgeous string quartet ripped straight from a Disney film. And, out of all these bizarre choices, the most astonishing thing (or maybe not) is they pull it off unbelievably well. It’s one of the sweetest tracks here and a bold choice for such an abrasive band. It’s really more of a statement, confirming that Black Midi really are capable of anything.
“Chondromalacia Patella” sends us back into the usual math/noise rock romp, opening with some tight, funk influenced guitar riffing and pounding drums, occasionally broken up with some heavy, bassy brown notes and wailing saxophones. The production on here sounds a lot more roomy, more like a live session rather than a carefully tracked recording, and it plays very well into the song. The verse is backed by a quirky and clean ascending and descending guitar riff and twinkling keys, Greep keeping up his more subdued, melodic singing. The track expertly navigates through loud/quiet dynamics, venturing into the more overt noise rock side of the bands sound. This constant ebb and flow of chaos and serenity is one of Black Midi’s signature moves, one they’ve pretty much perfected at this point. The back end of the track kicks the drums into overdrive, and we’re assaulted with a blistering, galloping guitar riff that gets your blood boiling, before being thrown head-first into a cacophony of pure noise, with an abrupt ending to follow. It’s an extremely solid track and a great showcase of Black Midi’s ‘signature sound’, if you could say they have one.
Another thing to point out is that my biggest gripe with Schlagenheim has been answered here, that being the drum production. The drum sound on Cavalcade is much more crisp and clear this time around, and it’s absolutely essential as Morgan Simpson is arguably one of, if not THE best young drummer/s going right now. Every accent, ghost note and rudiment that Simpson fires through is pristine and the album benefits greatly from it.
The fourth track, “Slow”, is bassist Cameron Pictons first vocal performance on the record. Pictons vocals are ridiculously hushed and atmospheric, paired with the rest of the bands usual finesse creates a somewhat otherworldly sound. Then, about halfway through, everything slows to a halt. The rest of this song is a post-rock opus, Pictons vocals taking on a decidedly more menacing approaching as each cycle of this dread-evoking riff builds and builds in intensity, before everything inevitably collapses in on itself.
“Diamond Stuff” is another Picton track, and likely the most subdued moment on the record. Another post-rock-esque build up, this song takes on a lawless western vibe with its muted acoustic finger picking and distant string leads, to a point where it almost sounds like a lost addition to the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack. The latter half of this track evolves into something absolutely gorgeous, with soaring background keys and strings, all drenched in reverb, with some slow and thoughtful drums dragging it all along. It’s a surprising highlight on the tracklist, along with the following track, “Dethroned”. The most impressive aspect of this song being the guitar work. Greep’s guitar is covered in delay here, switching from using the effect to create these blurry, distorted chords, padding underneath the tight bassline, to rhythmic stabs that create an almost glitchy effect during a head-bobbing breakdown. It’s another thing that sets Black Midi apart, their use of effects and pedals is truly something to behold, in a way that really pushes the songs further, rather than coming off as a gimmick like they easily could have.
“Hogwash and Balderdash” is the shortest cut here, starting us of with literal banging of pots and pans. The guitar riff is almost comically animated, backed by the hilariously uppity drums, only sometimes split apart by rapidly descending jazz chords and saxophone screeches. The track seems pretty self-aware of how ridiculous it is, and it pays off as one of the most light-hearted and fun moments on the record. The closing track, “Ascending Forth”, is a 9-minute-long string and horn backed guitar ballad similar to earlier cut, “Marlene Dietrich”. It’s a song that’s nice as it’s on, but ultimately, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with this closer. Maybe I was expecting a more explosive ending to the album, maybe it’ll grow on me, but as of right now it comes off as a bit underwhelming. It’s not a bad track by any means, the chord progressions and layered, melodic instruments truly sound magical at points, but the nine-and-a-half-minute runtime really does start to wear on me at a point.
However, Cavalcade is still magnificent. Given how far the Black Midi already pushed themselves with their debut, this sophomore effort is a more than worthy successor and proof that running out of ideas is highly unlikely for them. They’re one of the worlds most exciting bands at the minute and this record has proven that they’re not leaving any time soon. Cavalcade is available this Friday via Rough Trade, and you can pre-order the record here.
9/10