Cane Hill, a modern nu-metal band from New Orleans have set the bar high in the modern revival of this music style. Too Far Gone was released in January 2018 and I know I’m a little bit late getting to this, but after listening to this on a frequent basis, my love for it has become exponential and I feel it deserves a mention. I had already enjoyed their self-titled release from 2015 and first full length Smile in 2016 but Too Far Gone has been a really pleasant surprise and has ticked all the boxes for me on this genre.
With their music, Cane Hill brings a massive wave of nostalgia with their sound and is in the vein of such metal greats like Slipknot, Mudvayne and Korn to name just a few. It feels that this music could have been created in the early 2000’s era. They have done an incredible job on this release, with both their song writing and their musicianship resulting in an astonishing listen. Each track is diverse and well-structured telling a different story through the band members. A few recent lifestyle changes have come into effect so I feel each member definitely has some opinions and emotions to express.
Too Far Gone is a massive achievement and Cane Hill should be proud of themselves for releasing such a gem of a record. Their slight change in style has definitely worked in their favour and have definitely broadened their horizons for the future. I’d like to think that in many years to come this record will be one of the ‘Hybrid Theories’ or the ‘Iowas’ like we remember from our generation. The record starts with that classic eerie and industrialist sounding introduction that soon fades out to allow the guitar instrumentals to filter through along with the catchy drum fills. Elijah comes in with his deep and scary sounding voice that frequently dips between harsh shrilled screams and lower raspy growls, it’s very impressive. The chorus definitely has memorable moments which I just couldn’t get out of my head and makes you want to shout ‘Are You Mad, Are You Mad Now, that I’m too far Gone.’ The steady chugging riffs are continuous as we switch to the next track Lord of Flies and the warped guitar melodies add a cool touch to this song. Lyrically the tracks are very dark, containing some very deep thoughts and actions from the individuals in the band.
There are a lot of different influences that contribute to this record. Singing in the swamp slows things down a little and I felt a bit of a grunge vibe to this with more drawn out guitar melodies and a lighter style of vocals. It follows offers more of a metallic sound which makes you want to bang your head to it. The riffs and smashing drums turn up the heaviness on this track especially and I did get a little reminiscence of Korn through certain parts. Then we come to the hardcore influences, in tracks like Scumbag which is significantly shorter than the other tracks, and 10¢ which plays at a faster tempo with quick heavy riffs and fast paced drum rhythms. There are elements from all sorts of genres on this record and shows a sign of evolution for Cane Hill who have come a long way from their previous material (which is also great, may I add).
10¢ fades out from the heavy droning instrumentals to an electronic section full of beats combined with harmonious vocals which feels as though the record is coming to a close. I found this part interesting as there is another track after this which really is The End adding in one last does of chaotic instrumentals, trippy sounds and a mixed style vocals . In my opinion Too Far Gone is a fantastic record and is definitely modern nu-metal played to the best standard. It’s very energetic, refreshing and memorable and I feel Cane Hill have set the standard in the revival of this genre, paving the way for a whole new generation of bands. I very much look forward to their future material.
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