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Kaine – A Crisis Of Faith
Self-Released
Release Date: 24/02/2017
Running Time: 61:00
Review by Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King
8/10
When I hear the name Kaine, I always think of them as a new band just starting out, full of young guys wanting to make their mark on the metal scene. Now, while the “wanting to make their mark” bit is true, the band, itself, has been around since 2009.
Hailing from East Anglia, Kaine is a four-piece set up with influences from bands such as Iron Maiden and Saxon, which they have mixed with the thrash element I so love and have produced a fresh take on an older genre. Their site states they “combine traditional / NWOBHM with thrash / speed metal” and, despite not being the biggest NWOBHM fan, as you will have come to know by now, this is a combination that I have grown to love.
So, for those of you who don’t know much about the band, and if you don’t where have you been for the past nine years, let me tell you of some of their achievements so far.
They have supported some of the biggest names in current heavy metal, such as Alestorm, Evil Scarecrow, Savage Messiah, I-AM-I (which features ex-Dragonforce and current Skid Row singer ZP Theart), The Wild Lies and Absolva (a band that features members of Iced Earth!) and they have also shared the stage with legends such as Diamond Head, Praying Mantis, Tygers of Pan-Tang, Grave Digger, Holocaust, Lawnmower Deth, Annihilated, Tytan (ex-Angel Witch) and Onslaught.
On top of this, they were also voted GMA Breakthrough UK band of 2013 and in 2017, the band’s website was recognised as the 87th top metal blog in the world by Feedspot.
So, what does this band have to offer? Well, in my opinion, absolutely everything! With four fantastic musicians, excellent song writing abilities and a work ethic that’s second to none, this band should be bigger than what they are!
A Crisis of Faith is the band’s third album, officially released on February 1st, 2018, and having reviewed the previous one, The Waystone, I can see how they have grown as a band. I stated in my review then that they had “taken a great, big pot, thrown in some traditional heavy metal and a handful of NWOBHM, while adding a bit of thrash and a pinch of prog.” This album takes it all to the next level and feels a lot more ‘proggy’ to me than the last. This, however, doesn’t take away from the heavy crunching riffs and pounding drums that are still present, but it does show just what this bunch of guys can do.
I have always been an admirer of vocals that stand out from the rest, because let’s face it, who wants to listen to a band whose singer sounds just like any other band? And that, for me, is one of the things that makes this band a bit different to the rest. Rage Sadler’s vocals are somewhat quirky and will maybe not appeal to everyone, but I think they add character to the band. And he can actually sing, a trait that not too many bands deem important these days!
The other thing that stood out on this album for me was the bass playing. Being mum to a budding bass player I am starting to notice the bass lines in songs more and more now but the playing on this album just blew me away. I have seen Kaine live a few times with Stephen Ellis on bass now and he is simply a phenomenon. I never knew bass player’s fingers could move so fast! And with Saxon Davids on guitar (what a player!) and Chris MacKinnon on drums (and a lot of other stuff!! Versatility, now that’s the name of the game) these guys are everything a band should be!
Stand out songs for me were Fall of Jericho (check out the bass!) which I think is a favourite among a lot of other fans too, and Alone (In My Forgotten Rage) although I don’t think there is a bad song on the album.
I know that the music of Kaine doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think they have been overlooked by a lot of people. They work extremely hard and endure personal hardships to do what they do, and, for this, I think they should be applauded. If you give just one unsigned band you may have discounted a listen, then let it be this band!
Get yourself a copy of A Crisis of Faith (and at just a couple of quid they are a steal) and see for yourself!
Note: Since the recording of this album, drummer Chris Mackinnon has announced he is leaving the band. While this is a mighty blow for the band, here at Ever Metal we appreciate Chris has his own reasons for doing this. We would like to wish him all the very best for his future musical endeavours and hope he achieves what he is looking for.
We would also like to wish incoming replacement Liam Etheridge the best of luck with Kaine and look forward to many more years of music from a great bunch of guys.
On the 3rd May 2018, it was also announced that guitarist, Saxon Davids and bassist Stephen Ellis, were also leaving the band. We at Ever Metal would like to wish them both the very best in what they choose to do and we also hope Rage Sadler can salvage the band and come back bigger than ever!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Heaven’s Abandonment
02. Fall of Jericho
03. A Night Meets Death
04. Crisis of Faith
05. Afterlife
06. Frailty of the Blade
07. Voice in Hell
08. Behind the Preacher’s Eyes
09. The Mind is Willing
10. Alone (In My Forgotten Rage)
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of [user_login] and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
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