CAGE FIGHT

When they released their debut, self-titled album in 2022, it wasn't entirely clear whether CAGE FIGHT were a major new force or merely a smartly conceived side project. Led by guitarist James Monteith, who was usually to be found delving into complex, cerebral realms with TESSERACT, and former ETHS vocalist Rachel Aspe, they certainly sounded like the real deal, with a brutal, groove-driven metalcore sound that went straight for the jugular, intoxicated on aggressive riffing and righteous indignation. Although undeniably flawed, that first record was full of confidence and fueled by conviction, and the potential on display was more than obvious.

On their second album, CAGE FIGHT leave no doubt as to the seriousness of their endeavors. Fleshed out from the relatively primitive savagery of its predecessor, it showcases a newly mature and adventurous take on crushing, modern metal, with songs that are heavier and more extreme than before, but also vastly more accessible and strategically designed to send mosh pits into a limb-threatening, sweat-drenched frenzy.

Lean, mean and joyously free from gimmicks or needless detours into sappy, melodic territory, "Exuvia" is an angry, adrenalin-powered blast of energy. Espe's vocals have grown in strength and stature since the debut, and she rules these songs with an iron fist, demonstrating wild versatility and making noises that no human being has any right to be squeezing out of their throat. An opening trilogy of nails-hard assaults sums up the subtle transformation that has taken place over the last four years. "Oxygen" is a monstrous act of riff weaponization, with a suffocating barrage of thrash-inclined guitar work and vocals from Espe that reinforce what a formidable frontwoman she has become; the gloriously livid "Pig" takes aims at social media misogynists with merciless intensity and a flurry of psychotic pig squeals; and "Pick Your Fighter" is a rabid, armor-plated singalong, with gritty gang vocals and a fearsome, in-your-face chorus that harks back to the glory days of turbo-charged metallic hardcore. All three songs are short, sharp and lethal: CAGE FIGHT have toughened up and become utterly destructive.

But there is more to "Exuvia" than streamlined brutality. "Un Bon Souvenir" is a towering bit of modern metal songwriting, with more in common with MACHINE HEAD and DEVILDRIVER than any modern metalcore band, and a lavish, prog-tinged arrangement that drips with grandiose atmosphere; "Deathstalker" is outrageously punishing and by far the heaviest song this band have recorded to date.; "I Hate Your Guts" is a brutish, groove metal juggernaut, with riffs that bristle with momentum and malice; and the closing "Élégie" drifts into nightmarish tranquility with a touch of woozy post-rock elegance, before it erupts in grotesque splendor for several exhilarating crescendos, with Espe's harrowing screams echoing out into the void.

Thrillingly direct and expertly produced, "Exuvia" represents CAGE FIGHT's official coming of age. This is a consistently exciting piece of work, with countless great riffs, songs that ooze charisma, and a vocal figurehead with such visceral charm and star quality that future world domination seems entirely fair and reasonable.