Cathedral: Redemption Tyme
By Tate Bengtson
First published in Chaotic Critiques #13
Eagerly anticipated as Cathedral`s return to a heavier, quote-unquote pure doom sound, absolved of the slightly campy retro vibe that the band introduced with The Ethereal Mirror, Lee Dorrian & co. have surpassed expectations with Endtyme (Earache). It`s a heavy--seriously heavy--excursion into the dismal murkiness of Sabbathy dirge at its most menacing. Lumbering guitar riffs spiral ever deeper into the bowels of slow-motion sonic depravity, while Lee`s distinctive vocal approach angrily narrates the apocalyptic lyrics, deploying his unusual melody in a slightly different formation than that presented on the last few albums.
In many respects, Endtyme feels like a return to the heavy doom metal of Forests of Equilibrium, without ignoring the approach that was developed over the last several albums. And that is perhaps the key to the success of this album. It`s not a token "return to roots" album for the band, but a mature attempt to recapture the sinister apprehension of the band`s earlier approach, and merge it with the songwriting dynamics that were best exemplified on Caravan Beyond Redemption. Below is a conversation with mainman Lee Dorrian, in which we discuss where he locates the new album in terms of the band`s discography, the processes that went into its creation, and Cathedral`s vaunted return to doom.
So how to explain this return to doom that Endtyme signifies? Was it a conscious decision? What factors were involved? Lee responds that the decision involved "many reasons, though essentially we just thought it was time to get heavier again. The band has been together for over eleven years now, and although we`ve always tried to incorporate different elements into our style and sound, we just wanted to be more straightforward and brutal this time. We`ve noticed that a lot of heavier music is becoming very polite and safe, especially the so-called stoner stuff, and we`ve never really been a band that likes playing safe."
And, while Endtyme is undeniably heavier and doomier than those albums that included and followed The Ethereal Mirror, Endtyme is not an absent-minded return to the band`s roots after growing bored with its current direction; far from it. The new album clearly demonstrates an appreciation for the Cathedral discography in its entirety, mixing the heaviness of its older material, such as Forest of Equilibrium, with the songwriting abilities of more recent releases.
"I would agree with you totally," responds Lee. "I wouldn`t really compare Endtyme to Forest that much at all, apart from the fact that the production is more raw, and there are significantly more slower doom elements than on our more recent albums. Although this album is definitely the darkest release Cathedral has put out in a long time, we still felt it important to maintain a strong element of groove to our material. Also, lyrically, the album is based on issues wider than wallowing in self pity [in contradistinction to Forests]."
As the album reflects, the decision to script an album of utter heaviness was determined in advance of the creative process. When asked who was the main force pressing for this creative shift, the singer reveals that "it was mainly me who was pushing for the band to get heavier and doomier, because I thought it was a strong part of Cathedral that had been missing for sometime. Once we had decided on a direction, the creative process was incredibly straightforward - in fact, it was probably the easiest album we have ever written - and I think that this is largely due to the fact that the style of music on this album is what comes to us most naturally.
"I think it`s just made us more hungry to get heavier and heavier, it`s made us feel a lot stronger and intense as a unit," comments Lee on how the directional shift has affected the dynamic of the band. "Until we get together and start working on new material, I can`t really say too much, but I would probably say that Endtyme is the starting point for the re-birth of Cathedral."
Another important factor in the heaviness presented by Endtyme is the band`s use of producer Billy Anderson, which brought an incredible all-encompassing depth of sound to the album. Lee begins his comments on the production for Endtyme by reflecting on past experiences. "For a long time, probably since we recorded Ethereal Mirror, there has always been an invisible pressure on us to live up to a certain standard of production. This far down the line we thought, `what the fuck?` The only people we have to prove anything to is ourselves. Billy was someone who we had thought about asking for a long time. I have obviously been aware of his work with bands like Melvins, Neurosis, Eyehategod, Sleep, Brutal Truth and many others over the years, and I just thought he would better understand where we were coming from as a band than a lot of other producers. It was fairly obvious that he listens to pretty much the same kind of music as we do. The record took two weeks to record and one week to mix. Billy`s input into our performances was that he basically made you feel confident about yourself, knew our limitations as individuals - which was great - and made the whole vibe generally more relaxed. Billy, in terms of sound, has basically brought out a more earthy vibe to the sound, more live, energetic and raw, which is definitely what we were after this time."
So, Lee, what would you describe as the perfect setting for listening to Endtyme?
"In a dark room illuminated by a solitary purple light bulb, and a fucking loud system with loads of smoke and alcohol."
And if I asked this question circa The Carnival Bizarre, would your reply be any different?
"Same setting, but maybe with a blue light bulb."
