Lengthy interview conducted by Paul Gleason is HERE
Anthemic, infectious, powerful, uplifting – these are only some of the adjectives that come to mind when you play Pantheon: Volume 1, the single that Caustic Casanova have released on their Bandcamp site. Caustic Casanova hail from Washington, D.C., and their sound on Pantheon: Volume 1 hints at some of the great bands from that city, especially Rites of Spring and Fugazi. Add some Nirvana and Hüsker Dü melody (on records like Flip Your Wig and New Day Rising) and some Mission of Burma intensity, and you have a band that has all the right influences. But influences only go so far, as Pantheon: Volume 1 attests. Bassist and vocalist Francis Beringer, drummer and vocalist Stefanie Zaenker, and guitarist Andrew Yonki know how to make things new.
Caustic Casanova’s most recent LP, Someday You Will Be Proven Correct, proved this all too well. It was an eclectic monster of a record that should have made every critic’s Top 10 list in 2012. Beringer and Zaenker appeared on Someday, and now, with the addition of Yonki on guitar for Pantheon, Caustic Casanova are even more formidable. They’re stronger, tighter…
It’s no wonder, then, that Yonki gets “Glossolalia” – the first song on Pantheon – started with an energetic and melodic guitar riff, which leads to Beringer’s anthemic and catchy vocal melody, supporting it note-for-note. But the band doesn’t settle with great pop-punk. They stop the pop mid-song and create a noisy and quite beautiful soundscape that resolves into a tremendous Yonki guitar solo, to which Zaenker contributes the rumbling fury of her drums. Caustic Casanova save the best for last on “Glossolalia.” As Yonki takes the song to new heights with some high-pitched notes, Beringer and Zaenker trade off vocal parts, the former carrying on the melody and the latter screaming the band to some chunky, song-ending riffing.
“Forever My Queen” is the second and final track on Pantheon. It’s a cover of a song by the D.C. proto-metal band Pentagram, and it sounds like Black Sabbath decided to condense their sound into a precise 2:30 single. Yonki is so good on this track that the riffs, solos, and tone sound like they could have come out of Tony Iommi’s amp, and Zaenker rocks as hard as Bill Ward ever did. But Beringer is no Ozzy on the track – and that’s a good thing. The melody, which he sings with an introspective desperation, belies its confidence only to demonstrate the insecurity of the lyrics. If you ever wondered what it would be like to hear Robert Smith or Ian Curtis front Sabbath, you’ll know after hearing “Forever My Queen.” And, after hearing Pantheon, you’ll be ready to hear what promises to be a fine forthcoming Caustic Casanova release on Retro Futurist.
You can purchase Pantheon: Volume 1 HERE.
Web link to this review, written by Paul Gleason, is HERE
In town from D.C. with a new 7-inch, Pantheon: Volume 1, produced by Jawbox’s J. Robbins and featuring a cover of “Forever My Queen,” Caustic Casanova respects their forebears while crafting smart originals and will release a series of similar 7-inches. 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall, $3. PICK OF THE DAY.
Taken from a preview of the October 16, 2014 show in Orlando, FL by Ashley Belanger
Retro Futurist‘s most recent signing, Caustic Casanova, rolled through town a couple weeks ago and delivered a scorching set of proggy, heavy, post punk at Hang Fire….Next up was Caustic Casanova, a hard to pigeonhole rock trio out of the nation’s capital. They play a complex blend of post punk, almost metal, progressive, stoner rock, powerful psyche, I don’t know, let’s just call it heavy rock. Great set with interesting time changes and heavy grooves that I really dug. I was so impressed that I left with a double album in hand (recorded by J. Robbins and mastered by Bob Weston, how’s that for some indie rock mega credit?). With any luck the Retro Futurist ties will pay off with Savannah becoming a regular tour stop.
Taken from a review of the October 8, 2014 show in Savannah, GA by Tom Cartmel in Hissing Lawns Magazine
In my final shipment of my Retro Futurist subscription, there was a seemingly random 7″ single included amongst the other insanely cool goodies (seriously, have you guys seen the 12″ Kylesa Live Studio Improvision?), Pantheon: Volume 1, by Caustic Casanova. An initial spin revealed, to my ear, a heavy take on the melodic, hooky, post punk of the late era Dischord Records/Washington D.C scene. A conversation with Philip Cope of Retro Futurist a few days later confirmed that Caustic Casanova would be joining their growing, excellently varied roster of artists. I highly recommend checking them out at Hangfire Wednesday if you like your rock on the heavy side (but not really metal) with real melody running through it. Actually, just check out their Bandcamp or the video below and then come out to the show
Taken from a preview of the October 8, 2014 show in Savannah, GA by Tom Cartmel in Hissing Lawns Magazine
Lengthy interview with Caustic Casanova is HERE
Though they don’t sound like Kyuss, Caustic Casanova recalls those stoner wizards. Both bands take the overblown nature of hard rock and inflate it, resulting in absurdly muscled über-psych. Rather than cash in on cocaine-and-motorcycle wet dreams, though, Caustic Casanova takes their hard rock to cartoonish extremes, allowing themselves to sing lines like “short commute/live forever” with mostly straight faces. Bedowyn and The Manimals open.
taken from a preview by Corbie Hill of the July 13th show at Slim’s Downtown, Raleigh, NC
I am too lazy to look back at the number of reviews I have written on this local favorite of mine, so feel free to roam the archives. There has been a significant growth over this time, much of which due to the guitarist change some months back, so there is always plenty to look closely at while enjoying their sound. The good news is that the guitarist integration is pretty well complete and the band seems as comfortable as ever. They blend their songs with noisy transitions and play off each other well. Even the few times they seemed a little lost in between songs, they never veered from the formula. And that formula is to create intelligent and interesting alt-metal with plenty of psychedelic touches and rhythmic flourish. The songs are powerful with lots of personal twists that set them apart from the pack. It is best just to dive in and experience for yourself. And the good news is that from coast to coast, many cities will be getting that experience beginning next week. It is scary to think how much more together they may get when they return with a long tour’s worth of shows under their belt.
taken from a review by David Hintz of the July 6th show at The Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
This shredfest of a night in DC began with the hometown sound of Caustic Casanova. This group with revolving members hit the stage with what they call ‘Mark II,’ the trio consisting of Stefanie Zaenker, Francis Beringer, and Andrew Yonki. Zaenker’s drumming provided the relentless lead for the boys to squelch and wail over without hardly a breath in between. With the exception of a quick intro and shout out, CC basically weaved their set together seamlessly, beginning to end. Even the song they dubbed “slower” wasn’t much of a break for them, or the audience. Caustic Casanova is an intense way to start your night, that’s for sure.
taken from a review by Tommy Dingus of the April 17th show at The Black Cat, Washington, DC
This trio has long been a favorite of mine as they’ve graced many stages in the DC area for several years with creative prog-psyche nu-metal sounds. Their songwriting is more creative than most with intelligent lyrics and interesting vocal work. This is their second show with their new guitarist who now seamlessly fits in to their sound. His style is a little less startling, but his guitar sound has that heavy psyche vibe with great tonal control. I bet he doesn’t know he was warming up with a riff of Roy Harper’s “One Man Rock’n’Roll Band” (actually it was Jimmy Page playing that and this neither here nor there, but it was one of those lightning bolts in my brain) But back to the set, the sound worked out just well enough as the band’s vocals all worked out well with Stefanie’s backing vocals balanced perfectly as she manages to add a nice piercing presence in addition to her powerful drumming. There is a good crowd tonight that has discovered this band over the years. If you have not yet, the good news is that there is still time.
taken from a review by David Hintz of the March 23rd show at The Pinch, Washington, DC:DC Rock Live Review Link
