Album Review: Cazador – Acceptance/Isolation (Suspended Soul Tapes and Records)

Formed in 2014, Cazador features Joe Haryanto on bass and lead vocals, Cliff Cazeau on drums and backing vocals, and Jake Quinn on guitar. Released on December 4th 2020 via Suspended Soul Tapes and Records, Acceptance/Isolation is the followup to the 2019 album, Failure to Thrive. You can read our review of that album here.

Dark and mellow, Blindfold builds up anticipation nicely as it increases in intensity over a short amount of the time. Transforming into a thought-provoking sludge/post-hardcore effort but not dwelling too long as Cazador are quick to move into Mean World Syndrome.

This is where the wings are really stretched and we begin to see a more refined edge to the band. Chopping and changing the tempo with ease, there is no shackling this band to one particular sound or style and this track proves that.

The whole album has got a genre-defying feel to it and certainly shows just how much this band is growing. F32.8 is nothing but 2 minutes of echoing melody that has a ton of impact and it flows nicely into Exigent. Where a little more unique intensity is on the cards and Cazador have a winning hand. It’s as exciting as it sounds, the imagination on display is particularly admirable but the real pleasure comes from how focused it all is. Even when offering up something with the grandeur of Tough Love.

You never want classy releases like this to end. Yet, it’s with a hark back to their doomier roots that things do come to an end. Karoshi showcasing the evolved sound of Cazador in a way few will be initially able to comprehend. Crunching percussion, disorienting riffs and disconnected vocals combine to create something of a modern classic.

This is a band on the rise.

Cazador – Acceptance/Isolation Full Track Listing:

1. Blindfold
2. Mean World Syndrome
3. F32.8
4. Exigent
5. Tough Love
6. Karoshi

Links

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