Formed in 2015, Cazador are a post-metal/sludge hailing from Boston USA, release Fail to Thrive , their second full-length album after the acclaimed Broken Sun. Recorded entirely with analogue gear the album has a warm texture throughout, particularly audible in the guitar and bass sub-frequencies. If possible, it’s highly recommended to listen to Failure To Thrive through a decent sound system, as the production on this album is simply stellar.
Where as Broken Sun was a more traditional sludge metal album, Fail to Thrive takes their sound a step further, creating something much more powerful and diverse with ambient, almost melodic tracks such as ‘Children of Man’ and ‘Kingdom’ running alongside heavier tracks such as the title track. The juxtapositions of extreme vocals and soft guitars is abundant throughout too, and this serves to create a unique and inspiring listen and draws comparisons to UK band Bastions.
Whilst its difficult to discern there is almost certainly a political undertone running alongside the emotional torment of the album too, occasionally becoming evident with lyrics such as “Just build your fucking wall” on the title track ‘Failure to Thrive’, which can easily be read as both a reference to the American President as well as a personal emotional struggle. The track ‘Sassafras’ ends the album with dramatic and somewhat intimidating gang vocals. The progression and diversity on offer here makes Failure to Thrive a positive addition to any record collection and bodes well for future releases.
Failure To Thrive is released 12th July and can be purchased here.
Words: Oli Hulett
