https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Cassius King Premiere “Cleopatra’s Needle” Video; Field Trip out Today

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 23rd, 2021 by JJ Koczan

cassius king

Cassius King release their first album, Field Trip, today digitally with bonus-track-inclusive CD and vinyl to follow via Nomad Eel Records. Though technically a debut, the 10-plus track/41-minute, classic-metal-infused outing perhaps rings truer as a splintering off from another progression, namely that of Vessel of Light. The driving force here is guitarist Dan Lorenzo, whose affinity for dark riffcraft is writ large across Field Trip in a way that feels produced meaner than on Vessel of Light‘s 2020 LP, Last Ride (review here) — one might also note the similarity of the two titles, two words, going, etc., but Field Trip comes from the lyrics to the penultimate “Leave of Absence” — and who brings along drummer Ron Lipnicki (ex-Overkill) and bassist Jimmy Schulman (ex-Attacker), both also veterans of New Jersey thrashers Hades currently serving in Vessel of Light.

In 2004, Lorenzo put out a solo record called Cassius King, so as he notes below, the name has been around, and perhaps due in part to quarantine-era inactivity, the inability to play live, etc., Cassius King moved from sometimes-covers-project to actual-band, with Jason McMaster, formerly of Watchtower (and if you want to get complicated, Hades vocalist Alan Tecchio currently fronts Watchtower) and bearing a pedigree that spans nearly 40 years and currently includes Howling SycamoreIgnitor and bunch of others, joining on vocals.

That pairing of McMaster and Lorenzo is crucial. I won’t downplay the contributions of Schulman or Lipnicki — neitherCassius King Field Trip will you once you hear the doom-nodder “Traveler” — but the Dio-style sensibility McMaster brings atop Lorenzo‘s driving riffs is quite literally what separates Field Trip from what might’ve been the next Vessel of Light. Stylistically, it’s not an insignificant difference. “King of Lies,” “Below the Stones,” “Cleopatra’s Needle” and “Join the Exodus” open the record as a vital, metallic, hard-hitting salvo ahead of the aforementioned traveler, and McMaster‘s “daugh-tah” and “slaugh-tah” on “Cleopatra’s Needle” and “Join the Exodus,” respectively, are a dogwhistle to those who’d raise horns to a guttural, powerful belting-out of lyrics.

Ultimately, McMaster proves more dynamic than just that — not that he’d need to; man does a mean Dio — working in layers that at least in structure remind some of what Eric Wagner has done in The Skull on their two albums, but are Sabbath-born one way or the other. This is only highlighted by the work of LorenzoSchulman and Lipnicki behind, not fixing what isn’t broken about the metal of eld and drawing a line between it and Epicus-style doom, unafraid to be catchy or offer some shove on “King of Lies” and “Apocalyptic Nations” — the latter a presumed companion to the opener in launching side B — and never lacking in wanton, almost gleeful, force of delivery. Heavy doom metal that plainly loves being all three.

Swing and an edge of heavy rock pervade in “Below the Stones” and “Leave of Absence,” but the message of a metallic foundation even there isn’t lost. Field Trip makes bonus tracks of Cheap Trick‘s “Big Eyes” and “Out on the Tiles” from Led Zeppelin III, and fair enough, but it’s in album-proper closer “This Side of Forever” that the doom is perhaps most affirmed in its atmosphere. Side B has wrought crisp songwriting across “I Move with the Moon” and “Six,” the latter with a creeper riff in its finish that it’s especially easy to imagine in a Vessel of Light context, but the capstone moves outward from “Leave of Absence” with darker, Dehumanizer-esque bleak poise, and stomps to its conclusion with the surity of having said what it wanted to say. And so it did.

The video premiering below for “Cleopatra’s Needle” should give some sense of where Cassius King are coming from, even if it doesn’t necessarily represent the whole of Field Trip. However, as the record’s out today, you won’t have to trouble yourself too much to dig in deeper.

In any case, full-band commentary follows the clip, courtesy of the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Cassius King, “Cleopatra’s Needle” official video premiere

Former Hades founding member Dan Lorenzo has been using the CASSIUS KING moniker for years. From his debut solo album to his endless cover song CDs with various lead vocalists. But it wasn’t until 2021 when Lorenzo decided to make an all-original album with vocalist Jason McMaster (Watchtower/Dangerous Toys/Broken Teeth/Howling Sycamore/Ignitor). Lorenzo released four albums in three years with his doom band Vessel Of Light when Coronavirus prevented any more live shows.

“I had music to probably eight or nine more songs after VOL released Last Ride,” Lorenzo said. “I didn’t think the world was ready for a fifth Vessel Of Light album when we couldn’t even play shows to support Last Ride. Jason sang multiple CASSIUS KING cover songs with me and I had some music that was maybe a bit more like Hades plus a bluesy song I sent off to Jason. I was shocked how quickly Jason wrote and sang the first few songs, so I recorded a few more brand new tunes. I asked Jason if he needed any help with melodies and he told me he did not. Jason said he could use some lyrical ideas though. I told that to Jimmy Schulman (Hades/Vessel Of Light) and he and Jason ended up collaborating lyrically on three songs.”

Schulman commented, “When Dan mentioned Jason needed some lyrical ideas, I was excited to be part of that process. Jason and I came at it a few different ways. Sometimes it was just texting back-and-forth with a line or two at a time until it took on shape. Another time, a long poem was crafted into a song. However it went, though, it proved to be a cool and interesting collaboration.”

McMaster stated, “It was the kind of material I had been wanting to do for a long time. It feels a bit like Ozzy and Dio playing poker over some leftover Sabbath material. The melodies came to me quickly, as well as some of the lyrics. Things I already had fit the visions I had upon first listen and it all flowed immediately. I would not call it a full ‘doom’ application of terms, but its heavy, it reminds me of what I love about Sabbath and Dio songs.”

Drummer Ron Lipnicki (former Overkill current Vessel Of Light) said, “I think this new album’s got something for everyone. It’s like the fruits all line up on the slot machine.” That includes fans of Hades’ seminal release Resisting Success, as Scott LePage plays leads on the songs “I Move With The Moon” and “King of Lies.”

CASSIUS KING’s Field Trip will feature cover art by Claudio Bergamin (Judas Priest’s Firepower). Nomad Eel Records have already released a vinyl single by CASSIUS KING. The CD is set for release in July and vinyl to follow.

Cassius King are:
Jason McMaster – Vocals
Ron Lipnicki – Drums
Jimmy Schulman – Bass
Dan Lorenzo – Guitars

Cassius King on Instagram

Cassius King on Bandcamp

Cassius King stream

Dan Lorenzo website

Nomad Eeel Records on Facebook

Nomad Eeel Records on Instagram

Nomad Eeel Records website

Nomad Eel Records on Bandcamp

Tags: , , , ,