God How I Envy The Deaf is the 3rd from Noise/Sludge/Stoner/Psych Rockers Caustic Casanova and it features all their trademark riffs and dark humour that they’ve made their own within their almost 14 year career. Caustic Casanova have always pushed the boundaries of their music with each record they’ve released ever since their formation back in 2006. Though this album is perhaps their most daring and creative to date but also perhaps being their most accessible to date a well, Making it easy for first time listeners to enjoy the wild ride the band have in store for everyone.

The album is packed full of heavy sounding riffs that stretch the boundaries of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal but with Sludge, Doom, Stoner and Noise Rock being the main strengths the band have made their name with. The Psychedelic grooves hold everything together and allows Caustic Casanova to push their music into different musical directions than ever before.

The songs are packed full of rich inventive ideas where the music moves effortlessly from one genre to the next without losing it’s Psychedelic edge or focus.

Opening song – Fancy English – is a combination of 90s Noise/Grunge Rock sounds with a dark pop sensibility moving further into Heavy Sludge Rock vibes and fantastic vocals from Stefanie and Francis as well. The Alternative Rock/Metal flavour of the song bodes well for the rest of the album but this song also shows the creative lengths the band aim for the majority of the album.

Second song – Filth Castle – offers a more jangled and unsettled Noise Rock approach with a Punk Rock sensibility shining through. The heavy sludgy and stoner sounding guitars is quite experimental places but it shows why Caustic Casanova have never been afraid to take risks with their music. You can hear influences diverse as The Melvins, The B-52’s and Talking Heads on this song. Well I can but I could be looking too much into that. However, this is weird and addictive slice of Hard Rock that shows you the different styles of music the band will play on this record.

Third song – If Your Brain Is Properly Oiled – opens with a troubling Sludge groove before traces of Psychedelic sounds appear for a more threatening and aggressive approach. This is one of the standout songs on the album with aggressive lyrics having a more gloomier effect. There is some wicked dark humour with the lyrics as well but it’s the music that holds your attention.

Fourth song – The Memory King – is another wonderfully sounding epic from the band with a more laid back approach with hazy guitars slowly building upto a powerful and heavy rhythm. The vocals are more withdrawn but it draws you into Caustic Casanova dark world. The music is quite LO-FI in places but still sounding fresh and dramatically heavy when the moment calls for it. The song sees the band draw on their Post-Hardcore roots that build up to a highly dramatic finish.

Caustic Casanova carry on their dark and twisted style of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal for the remaining 6 songs left on the album but still offering a few delicious and heavy surprises along the way. The music becomes even weirder on the 2nd half of the album with different strands of Psychedelic Rock, Sludge Metal and Stoner Metal giving way to a more Progressive sound.

Other cool songs to check out are: Donut and The Golden Hen, Taos Lightning, Roger B. Taney and the gloriously insane final song – Boxed And Crated.

God How I Envy The Deaf is a stunning album on all levels with top-notch production showing folks what Caustic Casanova do so brilliantly well. This album proves that Caustic Casanova are a brilliant and original band in their own right. There is no other band like them around at this moment in time and this album is perhaps their best album to date.

The Obelisk’s Top 50 albums of the Year

42. Caustic Casanova – God How I Envy The Deaf

#3 album of the Year on Hugo Hellman’s list for The Doom Charts and Orange Maze

The Bucketheads Top 10 of 2019:

10) Caustic Casanova – God How I Envy the Deaf
9) Jerry – Ordinary Type
8) PUP – Morbid Stuff
7) FKA twigs – MAGDALENE
6) TOOL – Fear Inoculum
5) Big Thief – Two Hands
4) Cape Cartel – Vitamins
3) Pottery – No.1
2) Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
1) Otoboke Beaver – ITEKOMA HITS.

Caustic Casanova, God How I Envy The Deaf: The Shining Sun

Shortly before Washington, D.C., progressive noisemakers Caustic Casanova would issue their third-maybe-fourth long-player, God How I Envy the Deaf, as their debut on Magnetic Eye Records, the band posted an “unboxing video” on Facebook that featured drummer/vocalist Stefanie Zaenker, totally straight-faced, unwrapping the CD. The caption posted with it read, “Check out this rad unboxing video with drummer/vocalist Stefanie Zaenker! For more creative content and to see the rest of the unboxing follow us on Spotify and/or dm us a picture of your favorite mammal!”

This intelligent, pointed skewering of cloying social media promotion is pretty emblematic of Caustic Casanova‘s outlook on the universe and reverent sonic irreverence overall. Comprised of Zaenker, bassist/vocalist Francis Beringer and guitarists Andrew Yonki and newcomer Jake Kimberley, they’re a band who very clearly love a range of styles and see no reason to draw a line between them. Across the nine-track/50-minute run of God How I Envy the Deaf, that comes out in a meld of hardcore crunch, heavy rock groove and thoughtful songcraft, with cuts like “Filth Castle” and “Taos Lightning” casting an identity that pulls from multiple sources while being pieced together with a hard-won confidence from years of touring and experience in the studio.

Outright, it’s worth noting that God How I Envy the Deaf is the heaviest-sounding work Caustic Casanova have ever done, and as it’s been producer J. Robbins at the helm for their studio work at least since 2012’s Someday You Will Be Proven Correct, a thickening of tone as compared to 2015’s Breaks (review here) and generally more aggressive spirit seems like it can only be a conscious decision. Humor and willingness to embrace the absurd are obviously a part of it — hence the pigeon propaganda cover art; note the boundless loyalty to Parrot Mao — and I haven’t had the benefit of a lyric sheet, but whether it’s opener “Fancy English” (premiered here) or the guttural shouting of a grocery list at the start and the concluding “an egg!” in “Donut and the Golden Hen,” there’s no shortage of personality on display.

It can be a fine line for a band to walk, and I think more often than not those who step back from doing so don’t want to be seen as the joke itself rather than those telling it, but Caustic Casanova‘s aggro take throughout staves this off, with plenty of divergences in style as on the echoing post-whatever of “Memory King” and the floating guitar amid the hard-hitting hook of later highlight “Truth Syrup,” wherein they seem to be answering the question of what Kylesa might’ve sounded like had they kept their tonal impact in kind with their melodic progression, to righteous result.

The diversity of their approach is united through songwriting and production, and even as God How I Envy the Deaf veers outward from the rules of its own making on its final two tracks, “Roger B. Taney,” — named for the US Supreme Court chief justice who said in 1857 that slaves weren’t citizens and the congress couldn’t outlaw slavery and featuring Emily Danger on vocals — and the 10-minute closer “Boxed and Crated,” which is by no means the first longer-form work Caustic Casanova have done but ends the record with a surprising devolution into cacophony, there is an underlying sense of direction and purpose to what they’re doing.

But there is no mistaking the challenge that Caustic Casanova are putting forth on God How I Envy the Deaf. It is in the winding riffs and hardcore-born punch of “Filth Castle,” in the riffier groove of “If Your Brain is Properly Oiled” and in the lumber and shouts of “Boxed and Crated,” which pushes to the furthest extremes of any of the material here. To listeners, the challenge is to step outside of expectation for the limits of genre. There is no reason rock can’t be metal, punk can’t be heavy and all of it can’t be both progressive, shredding and fun.

The songs don’t necessarily invite dissection — this riff comes from this, that riff comes from that, etc. — but they stand up to that kind of scrutiny should someone want to get into it, and they prove only more effective and more memorable with multiple listens. That is, while the immediate impression Caustic Casanova make is that of an energized, considered act not at all beyond a bit of pummel when the situation calls for it — as it does at several points throughout here — the cliché of putting more in and getting more out applies to actually hearing what they’re doing from piece to piece. You can dig as deep as you like and the ground stays solid.

That is a credit to their songwriting and the decade-plus they’ve been together, and their maturity has been hard won — it would be inappropriate to discuss just about anything they do without noting the steady touring they’ve undertaken for extended stretches for years now; one lengthy list of dates after another in inheritance of a D.C. DIY punker ethic. Their chemistry, even with Kimberley as a relatively recent addition to make what was a trio into a four-piece, is unmistakable and well on display in the turns within these songs as well as the shifts between them, the spacious and stomping “Memory King” giving way to the unmitigated instrumentalist speed-shove of “Donut and the Golden Hen,” which makes an as-fitting centerpiece as one could reasonably ask for an album so brazenly working on its own level.

Another challenge of God How I Envy the Deaf is perhaps even more crucial, and that’s to Caustic Casanova themselves. You can hear it in how they’re pushing themselves to be not just heavier or meaner or louder, but more realized creatively and more willful in how they bring together the various elements that comprise their approach. They’re a progressive band not just because they write thoughtful compositions, but because they actually progress — continually. Perhaps the real achievement of God How I Envy the Deaf is how it manages to so much maintain the band’s personality stamp even as it embraces this heavier stylistic ideology, refusing to sacrifice who they are to fit into some tidy box of genre.

And more, it is less a push-pull of resistance than a continual drive toward the individual. Their sound, even as it continues to change, is their own. Their songs, same. Their perspective, same. I don’t know if they’ll ever be the kind of band fully embraced by the kind of hype machine that, say, might seriously ask a fanbase their favorite mammal, but on God How I Envy the Deaf, they manifest as entirely themselves, and that suits them better.

Top 20 Heavy Music Releases of 2019:

#14. Caustic Casanova, “God How I Envy The Deaf”: Brook and I sort of looked at our individual rankings and said, “How did this rambunctious little firecracker make it so high on this list!?” It must be because this thing is infectious as fuck and these guys are writing some amazing, youthful, genre-defying hard rock!

Album Review: Caustic Casanova – God How I Envy The Deaf

Caustic Casanova won’t be going full-on metal anytime soon, but their brand of quirk rock is noticeably heavier on their third album, God How I Envy the Deaf. The performances have an aggressive edge overall with the guitar tone picking up some extra girth, the bass boasting more grit, and the drums hitting harder while still maintaining those unorthodox rhythms. Acquiring a second guitarist since their last full-length likely plays into it but the inherent construction of songs like “Filth Castle” draws more on their influence from groups like Soundgarden and Melvins.

Of course, the band still places great priority in experimentation. There’s a fair amount of time devoted to tripped out atmospherics as “Memory King” slips in some lyrical references to mid-80s Rush while “Roger B. Taney” pairs a doomy buildup with a sweeping guest appearance from vocalist Emily Danger. I also dig the hazy stomp on “If Your Brain is Properly Oiled” as well as the playful punk on “Taos Lightning.”

The structures also feel more focused than the topsy-turvy riffing patterns and angular vocal interplay would suggest. There is an array of tempo changes with plenty of opportunities for whiplash, but the melodies manage to come out memorable. There’s still some sense of wandering about with the closing “Boxed and Crated” in particular encompassing the album’s various influences across its ten-minute runtime, but it feels less haphazard once you get used to it.

Overall, Caustic Casanova remains as hard to define as ever on their third album. The band’s penchants for wild performances and eccentric stylistic choices aren’t going anywhere, but the amped up heaviness may make it more palatable to more aggressively minded listeners. You might have to be in a certain mood to fully embrace the madness, but this just might be the band’s strongest showing so far.

Highlights:
“Filth Castle”
“If Your Brain is Properly Oiled”
“Memory King”
“Roger B. Taney”

Editor Grade: B+

Usually when I have to review an album I make sure I delve into the band’s lineup and history quite soon. But in the case of Caustic Casanova’s new album God How I Envy The Deaf the music has been so addictive that I hardly knew anything about this group just before writing this. What I do know that this is an awesome record that’s hard to put away. One of the things that you can tell right away that these musicians have been playing together for quite a while, because the musicianship is really tight on here.

Lately I have been ranting enthusiastically about this band to just about everyone I thought that might be interested. In my Caustic Casanova propaganda I described their music as a mix of The Pixies, Helmet and Kylesa. Although I still think that’s a fitting summary of their sound I also realize that Caustic Casanova might be too riff oriented for fans of alternative/noise rock. But the mix of sludge, post hardcore and alternative rock in Caustic Casanova’s music is really irresistible if you like those genres.

It seems a bit unnecessary to give credits to specific band members, because each instrument is played very well and with persuasion. But I can’t help mentioning Stefanie Zaenker’s awesome drumming and likewise vocal deliveries. Her voice works really well along with Francis Beringer’s vocals. The Zaenker/Beringer rhythm section is also very impressive. It seems like that duo emphasizes the energetic, noisy and beautiful chaotic side of the band. While guitarists Andrew Yonki and Jake Kimberley bring the powerful, melodic and virtuosic side. The whole band sounds really tight, but doesn’t hesitate to dive into unconventional passages too.

Citing specific songs isn’t really necessary, but Fancy English, Filth Castle, Taos Lightning and the Boxed And Crated are favorites at Orange Maze HQ. This is Top 10 material for 2019 for sure. Check out their music on Bandcamp. If you like it, be sure to buy, so they can box the record up and maybe crate it and ship it to you.

Artist: Caustic Casanova – Vinyl Share:

“I’ve got martyr in my arteries, victim in my veins!” Man that outro revs us up! These youthful rockers unleash melodies that will get your blood pumping and heads banging! I love this record. It is a unique listening experience too, as these guys largely elude genre entrapment in pursuit of simple unhinged energy! This parrot dictator artwork is also a wicked curveball. What a breath of fresh air! Be sure to investigate Caustic Casanova via Magnetic Eye Records! The song Memory King is fantastic too!

It was by fun coincidence that the press release blowing up the dates for Caustic Casanova‘s November tour happened to come down the PR wire while I was waiting for the band to take the stage this past Saturday at the Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn for Magnetic Eye Records‘ Day of Doom (review here). But as the central thesis of that portion of the longer writeup concerning the D.C. four-piece was basically, “duh, go see them because they’re good,” it seemed only fair to put up or shut up and post the dates again whereby that might actually happen, at least for some people in the right place at the right time.

This isn’t the first tour Caustic Casanova are doing to support their new album, God How I Envy the Deaf, and it seems incredibly unlikely it will be the last. I have little doubt that the best advice I can give as regards the band — see: “duh,” etc., above — will apply to their next tour as well. Go go go. They certainly do.

Of the nine bands on this bill, I’m pretty sure Caustic Casanova win the prize for having the most recent release. Their new record, God How I Envy the Deaf, came out on Oct. 18 as their first through Magnetic Eye and they’re playing Vitus Bar as a precursor to hitting the road on the next of their seemingly endless string of tours. This is also the first time I’m seeing them as the four-piece of drummer/vocalist Stefanie Zaenker, bassist/vocalist Francis Beringer, and guitarists Andrew Yonki and Jake Kimberley, the last of whom is a new recruit. For a band on the road as much as they are, I have to imagine finding someone to mesh with wasn’t easy — Caustic Casanova‘s particular take on melodic heavy rock is a big-time beneficiary of the chemistry they’ve built through touring — but they did it, and the match extends to onstage energy, to be sure. How many bands could cover “Wicked World” and make it sound believable? Caustic Casanova played it like they wrote it, and their original material was no less vital. I’ll make it easy: this is a band you should see. They make it even easier by touring their collective ass off, but even if they didn’t, they’d be worth the effort of showing up when possible. Magnetic Eye made a good-ass pickup when they signed them.

Is it proggy stoner rock? Doomy punk? Anthrax playing Zappa? Sure.

This D.C. band doesn’t bother itself too much with genre labels, and it tends to identify with each and every one of its disparate influences. The driving force is the intensity of the writing and the performance. Not one single note is played halfway.

It is my pleasure to listen to any number of artists who embody the “nobody else sounds like this” ethos. Caustic Casanova sounds like a thousand different bands at different times, and that sound morphing ability is what makes these folks stand apart. Well, that and the fact that stuff is so, so good.

One easy example: “If Your Brain is Properly Oiled.” The first minute-plus is dedicated to one of the greatest Tony Iommi riffs that he never wrote. But instead of going full-on Sabbath, the riff plays out over a kinetic drum line (including a significant reliance on wood blocks). The vocals, which are both the weakest and most interesting thing about the band, shout and wail as needed. In the end, the riff destroys everything–as is only right. But the journey is thrilling.

Perhaps the only other band out there attempting to do so much is King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard. Those Aussies attack prog from an entirely different point of view, but the adventurous spirit is in the same vein. Caustic Casanova has been threatening this sort of brilliance for some time. Now the prophecy is fulfilled. Mind melting.

Interview with Stefanie Zaenker.

Lengthy interview with Andrew Yonki and Stefanie Zaenker

Exclusive Album Premiere: Caustic Casanova’s God How I Envy The Deaf

Few albums will make you as grateful for your hearing as God How I Envy the Deaf, the latest offering from Caustic Casanova. The Washington, DC area quartet’s inventive blend of stoner metal, noise rock, psychedelic, prog, and pretty much whatever else they want is so invigorating, listening to it feels like have ice water dumped over your head. They’re the kind of band who are perfectly at home in the metal world — they were previously signed to Kylesa’s Retro Futurist Records, and it’s easy to imagine them sharing a stage with the Melvins, Torche, or Big Business — but will also almost certainly have appeal outside of extreme music circles as well. Put more simply: they’re just great fucking songwriters, and God How I Envy the Deaf is a total goddamn blast.

Says Caustic Casanova bassist/vocalist Francis Beringer of the album:

“For years we’d hear surprised declarations at the merch table after our shows, ‘You’re so much heavier live than what I heard online!’  We wanted to correct that to some extent, so with ‘God How I Envy the Deaf,’ we endeavored to create the most intense Caustic Casanova album yet.

“This record is the culmination of years of intense songwriting and touring, with some tunes going back nearly four years in live sets and going through lots of changes before we recorded them with our trusted sonic counselor J. Robbins.  Songs like ‘Fancy English,’ ‘Filth Castle,’ ‘Truth Syrup’ and ‘Boxed and Crated’ should make it clear we’re a band that specializes first and foremost in massively heavy riffs and overwhelming sonic environments.

“I’m one of the writers for The Hard Times, and a good portion of this record’s words were informed by my experiences writing satire and interacting with really funny people.  I like writing lyrics where the vocals are sung by an idiot, especially a self-important idiot, so there’s some of that. ‘God How I Envy the Deaf’ also features bad puns, like lyrics taken straight from North Korean state propaganda and used to ludicrous effect, direct references to comedians Maria Bamford and Patton Oswalt, and guitar lead references to  Rubert Holmes’ ‘Escape,’ better known as the Piña Colada song.  Point being, humor is a significant part of this record. And given how much the Chinese government and its interactions with American entertainment has been in the news, it’s worth mentioning that, yes, the album art is directly inspired by Chinese Communist Party propaganda from the Cultural Revolution.”

Album Review: Caustic Casanova – God How I Envy The Deaf (Magnetic Eye Records)

What we have here is something unexpected. Something unusual but something very memorable. God How I Envy the Deaf has all the snark and snarl of punk yet it’s wrapped up in a prog style that befuddles and much as it delights.

Let’s get this clear from the start. To really appreciate just what Caustic Casanova have done here you’re going to have to give the album some serious time. At 50 minutes long, it’s an investment already but that time and the following plays allows focus on the many, many intriguing moments throughout.

Simply put, it’s a complex journey and that will be clear from the moment Fancy English gets going. Hopefully it compels most to keep on listening.

It’s should as it’s a fantastic trippy number that pushes and pulls the rhythm around like a piece of elastic. Then Filth Castle goes even further with Caustic Casanova’s attempt to unbalance the listener with hyper injections of pace warped around their rawer garage sound. Another wonderful piece of music.

The groove of the riffs makes If Your Brain Is Properly Oiled stand out for the right reasons. Memory King is unforgettable and a great example of those moments on an album where a certain part, hook or beat will just get lodged right in the brain causing all kinds of itching. Donut and the Golden Hen is one of the shortest track on the album and has a very punk-rock vibe to it. A nice change of pace even if it’s probably the least exciting moment on the record.

Take a breath, cause it’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.

As mental exhaustion begins to set in, Caustic Casanova inject energy directly into the brain with the catchy oddity that is Taos Lightning. The strangeness offset by the the following eerie guitars and hard rocking edge of Truth Syrup. Forget tiredness…this is an album few will actually want to end.

It’s with two big ones that it does though. The first, Roger B. Taney which features additional vocals by Emily Danger is one of the more morose tracks on the album. Not in pacing or energy wise but rather the darker riffs and more melodic singing. The second is a 10-minute finale that takes us deeply down the rabbit hole of Caustic Casanova’s mind.

There isn’t much like this around at the moment. The unique flavour of this album won’t be to everyone’s palate but many, us including, won’t be able to stop coming back for more. 9/10

Caustic Casanova Hits Hard With Feisty New Single

Malfunkshun recorded a song some 30 years ago called “With Yo’ Heart (Not Yo’ Hands).” To me, the title alone says volumes about the place of authenticity in music making. You can be technically proficient, you and paint by the numbers, follow the formula, but it won’t resonate with listeners unless it’s coming from a place deep inside you. That’s how a band like CAUSTIC CASANOVA distinguishes itself when I’ve audited so many albums that I’m almost sick to death of hearing anything with a beat. And yet, still these tired ears can be lulled into asking, “Whose song is this, anyway?” Above all else, be interesting.

The band from D.C. has plenty of heart and ideas to spare, making the decision of which song to premiere really hard when their PR guy asks me to choose the one I liked best. “Boxed and Crated,” the album-ending track from God How I Envy The Deaf, eventually won out. Says the band of this particular number:“‘Boxed and Crated’ is one of our most unusual songs. For a while we’d been closing sets with our cover of The Melvins’ ‘Cow’ from our Pantheon: Vol. 2 record. I wanted to add an original tune to our repertoire that could replace “Cow” as a set closer but with similar components, like a hellacious heavy metal start, an open-ended noise ending that could lend itself to improvisation and experimentation, and a Melvins-esque, focused sense of silliness. What was conceived as a short tune ended up, in classic CC fashion, becoming an album-ending and set-closing noise-prog epic.

“This song’s got it all. Lyrics pulled directly from The Drew Carey Show, Spanish language verses, an epic guitar solo, layered percussion, sonic references to “Escape” by Rupert Holmes, and of course guitarist Andrew Yonki animatedly reading Lovecraft, slowed down so it becomes a molten lava sound effect, closing out the track as we slow a simple drone down to the doomiest of tempos.

“The lyrics are also a complete farce, in an intentional way. They’re intended to mirror and also distort the words on the album’s opener, ‘Fancy English.’ The record starts with a question, “where is hatred bred?” and ends with comical and ridiculous lyrical repetitions of the word “hate.” It’s repeated so much that the listener should become numb to the word. One of the main premises of social media is to keep users upset and full of hatred long enough to sell them products. They’re made to feel that arguing with and insulting others is energy and time well spent, so that serious discussion devolves into blind and deaf rage, and then they’re shown products to make them feel better. It’s a sick joke. ‘Boxed and Crated’ is the album’s final descent from coherence into madness and then finally into the grave, lyrically and musically. Enjoy!“

This one gets wild, too, people, watch out. Just wait until you hear that guitar solo! Look for God How I Envy The Deaf on October 18th on digital, CD, and vinyl formats via Magnetic Eye Records (pre-order here).

Give ear…

The Anatomy Of – Caustic Casanova

From the first time I listened to Caustic Casanova‘s God How I Envy the Deaf (from which we premiered a trackrecently), I knew I wanted to run an Anatomy Of segment with them. The album is a veritable smorgasbord of influences, styles, and approaches, all culminating in a fast, fickle, and furious album, punchy in all the right ways. What kind of influences go into the pot which makes this broth? Would those choices be “obvious” and translate clearly into the sounds and ideas which ended up on the album?

Funnily enough, the choices not only “made sense” but they also allowed me to understand the album a bit better. Take the decision to include Rush‘s Signals; it’s not an influence that originally came to mind but now that I’ve seen it on paper, it makes perfect sense. The vibe on opening track “Fancy English”, the melodic touches throughout the album, and more work really well with the Rush underpinning. So too the swagger that seems to run through the album now screams Queens of the Stone Age and Soundgarden. All in all, the choices below give some really good context on the hectic pace of God How I Envy the Deaf and help to amplify the already powerful connection I’ve had with the album.

Read on below for more details on why, how, and when these albums (all of them excellent and seminal I might add) came to influence Caustic Casanova and don’t forget to pre-order the album right here. It releases October 18th.

Enter Caustic Casanova’s “Filth Castle”

I’ll be honest with you, I fell in love with these guys even before I heard a single note of their music. The cover art coupled with the fact that the promo promised me everything from punk, through Iron Maiden to progressive stoner metal just meant that I had to listen to this album. Lo and behold, I got exactly what I wanted. God How I Envy the Deaf is a tight little album, effortlessly running the gamut of all the styles mentioned above and doing it with a fair bit of grace as well. As “Filth Castle” shows, the single which we’re delighted to premiere today, the band rely on a light-hearted spirit and plenty of groove to make the whole thing gel into one. Head on down below to dive in and I’ll see you after.

That was lovely, wasn’t it? The groovy riff which pops up after the intro, the slowdown after the middle of the track which leads to that nasty solo, the punk-tinged vocals. It all just coalesces into a chaotic, feedback-ridden, high octane ride and a half. The album is just as scattered, in the best of ways; often it will dig deeper into the stoner elements hinted at on this track. Sometimes, it doubles down on the Clutch influences, channeling that aggressive brand of American rock that’s become the band’s staple. And then, at other times, it just lets rip, freeing those punk underpinnings in a mess of glorious revolt and fury.

If you like what you hear (and, honestly, why wouldn’t you) you can head on over here to pre-order the album. God, that cover art really is amazing, isn’t it?

Caustic Casanova Transcend Trends On Genre-Defying Hard Rawker God How I Envy The Deaf

Caustic Casanova is a band you need to pay attention to. It’s as simple as that! On their new full-length, God How I Envy The Deaf, the quartet from D.C. unleash a rawk fury that’s epic, anthemic, and downright awesome. We became aware of them thanks to their incredible and ambitious trio of Pantheon EP’s which was conveniently combined to create an unstoppable rawk and/or roll Frankenstein which seemingly could not be beat. That is, until God How I Envy The Deaf came along.

But I digress.

“Fancy English” leads the charge, conjuring the spirit of old Soundgarden in those just-about-to-really-make-it days between Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s where the sound is slightly unhinged yet so polished at the same time. The way Stefanie Zaenker hits the high hat, the mesmerizing guitar lines from Jake Kimberley and Andrew Yonki throughout, and the merging voices of Zaenker and Francis Beringer are just divine. And a damn fine way to kick off an album!

The way “Filth Castle” just lingers before heading into this unrefined jam sesh which treads Prog and Rawk so effortlessly is just another example of the way Caustic Casanova’s quartet of pros keep listeners on the edge of their seats. As is the case when this Jazz-like shuffle drops in the middle while Beringer’s bass work is still causing seismic mayhem. Later, “If Your Brain Is Properly Oiled” is a swirling, layered ditty fueled by tribal drumming that borders on Industrial from Zaenker with wailing guitar lines that give a sinister air to everything.

“Memory King” reveals a different side of the band with this introspective and dense offering that has vocal styles from Zaenker and Beringer conjuring images of Creepoid at times. It’s the kind of song that just shows how the synchronicity of Zaenker and Beringer is such a driving froce of CC. The way that Beringer’s rolling bass meshes with Zaenker’s solitary drumming early on in the track and then vocally, the way they deliver this gorgeous call and response in the chorus is just sonic bliss. Going so far as to say a track like this fills the void left by Kylesa’s departure with its’ almost post-rock style gloominess is an understatement.

Well, that was deep. Time for more Rawk!

Caustic Casanova Premiere “Fancy English”; ‘God How I Envy The Deaf’ Out Oct.18

Washington D.C. heavy prog noise rockers — that’s right — Caustic Casanova will release their new album, God How I Envy the Deaf, through Magnetic Eye Records on Oct. 18. On Nov. 2, they’ll also play the label’s Day of Doom label showcase at Brooklyn’s famed Saint Vitus Bar, and thereafter take off on the latest their ongoing string of tours. That tour follows, wait for it, several others the now-four-piece have conducted thus far this year, and the album goes in some way toward explaining the intangible aspects of their sound.

To wit, just about no one who listens to Caustic Casanova knows what to make of them. Right? Did you see the part above when I called them “heavy prog noise rockers?” What the hell does that even mean? Are they that? Are they heavy college rock indie? Are they hard alternative? Semi-grown-up punk? Depends which song you listen to, really — and their sound encompasses all of it — but with God How I Envy the Deaf, it becomes a little clearer why. It’s the D.C. in them. This is the town that produced Funkadelic and Minor Threat. It’s not a place where artists have felt compelled to follow the rules about where genre lines are meant to reside, and so if Caustic Casanova sound just as comfortable in the psychedelic post-thrash of “Memory King” as they do balancing crunch riffs against dual-vocals and airy post-rock leads in “Truth Syrup,” it seems only appropriate to look at where they’re coming from as part of the reason behind that.

Well, that and they’re obviously a buncha weirdos.

Go get ’em, weirdos!

Comprising nine tracks in 50 gonna-be-reviewed-by-me-sooner-or-later minutes, God How I Envy the Deaf is led off by “Fancy English,” the premiere of which you can stream below. Take a second, get your brain in order, and dig in:

Caustic Casanova is a band with nearly fifteen years of experience in the DC area. The group recently relocated to Frederick (check out a recent interview with bassist Francis Beringer here) and starts an extensive summer tour beginning on August 7th.

I was lucky enough to catch a rare Frederick show, but this band is certainly worth a drive/trip to Baltimore or DC.

It was a special occasion (Ron Fezzy McGinnis’ birthday bash – also labeled his Festival 50th birthday party and Franfest XXXV). McGinnis’ had a long history with CC dating all the way back to their first Frederick show at Krug’s in 2009.

Review:

“50 years ago we landed on the moon. The world is a pretty cool place with awesome people. It’s not such a cruel world after all.” – Bassist Francis Beringer explained before launching into an epic cover of Black Sabbath’s “Wicked World”.

CC delivered one of the most incendiary sets I’ve seen in a while.

A certain heaviness is displayed throughout each of the songs through the insanely fuzzy/distorted guitar and bass tones. Insanely executed prog-rock sections speed up their metal-ish persona. Distinct vocals that rock on top of everything come from Beringer and chaotically balanced drummer Stefanie Zaenker.

The band’s energy is absolutely ravaging and has the crowd headbanging and bouncing along to the seamlessly tight rhythms. Each of the members dominate through their stage moves that have clearly been honed throughout their years of playing.

Caustic Casanova is band you MUST make it out to see.

Lengthy interview with Francis Beringer.

Washington DC’s Caustic Casanova was up next and I was pretty excited to finally see them as well. They’ll be back in NEO this fall as part of the Blackout Cookout at Westside Bowl in Youngstown, so this was an orientation for me. The diverse sound present on their recordings was faithfully reproduced live, with the band covering the gamut from smokey Sabbathian phrases to proggy, guitar harmony-laden tangents, straight up rock and roll romps, and all in between. They certainly impressed! Hot dang! Check them out at BOCO, for sure!

One of the more unusual bands roaming around the DMV (that would be D.C., Virginia and Maryland, though CC is most definitely D.C.), Caustic Casanova has released two albums in the last seven years. I reviewed Breaks when it came out in 2015, and it remains a favorite. I’m told a new full-length is on the way soon.

This CD collects three vinyl releases (7″s in 2014 and 2017; a 12″ EP in 2018) that separately featured a cover song and some re-recorded original stuff. Pentagram, the Melvins and Weedeater get the treatment, and the choice of those three bands ought to tell you a lot about this psychedelic stoner metal apocalyptica band. Raise your hand if you know Weedeater. If you don’t, go get yourself educated.

And if you haven’t happened by the Caustic Casanova bandwagon, this is a fine introduction. Perhaps not quite as adventurous as Breaks, but awfully engaging. This is obviously a band that has a high time creating sonic chaos.

I suppose intellectual stoner rock isn’t a thing. And it wouldn’t be entirely fair or accurate to accuse CC of high-falutin’ ways (they often feature an anthropomorphic cow in their art; witness the cover for this CD), but there is a lot more method behind the madness than might appear at first gasp. In particular, the band always takes an angle to its music. Any band that effortlessly channels King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Sleep and Iron Maiden in the same song has my vote.

Caustic Casanova. This is a power-trio instrumental rock track that delivers a convincing approximation of large animals all rushing violently in the same direction over some poor, now-destroyed piece of earth. If you’re into heavy rock but have been burned rock that’s overproduced, underdeveloped or just generally boring, this song will not disappoint: it avoids all the pitfalls of rock and just actually rocks.

10/10

As Bucketlist Music Reviews‘ resident hippie, it is no secret that amongst my fellow Bucketheads I’m the least versed in all things heavy. This is not to say that I don’t have an appreciation for thrash or doom metal, it’s just that I can only take the extremity and rigidness of the genre in small doses. Caustic Casanova and their Pantheon series have proven to be the exception. I could listen to their songs over and over for hours on end and not feel musically exhausted. I think the main reason is that even though they are classified as a heavy band, they are wildly restless and experimental, which is something a hungry music aficionado like me can thoroughly enjoy.

Pantheon: Vol. 3 is easily the most “out there” of the bunch. It follows the same format as Vol.1 and Vol.2in that one side of the record is an original song and one is a stylistic revamp of one of their favourite songs except it’s longer, better, and takes more chances. On the first side, there are three original songs that boast an exhausting stylistic range from funk to the avant-garde, and on the other side is an epic, nine-minute cover of Weedeater’s magnum opus “God Luck and Good Speed.”

What immediately stands out about Vol.3 is how it is mostly instrumental. Opening track “Clown Butter” is a glorious funk and punk hybrid jam that would surely make Minutemen proud. The psychedelic speed-metal workout “Stampede” is utterly thrilling with its flawless tempo changes and sexy guitar licks courtesy of Andrew Yonki. Either song could easily soundtrack an intense car chase in a summer action flick.  That said, when bassist Francis Beringer and drummer Stephanie Zaenker finally chime in halfway through “Everyone’s Goddamn Business,” it is a thing of anthemic beauty that recalls the melodic interplay of Kim Deal and Frank Black. Beringer’s vocal performance on “God Luck and Good Speed” should also be highly commended in that he trades Dave Collins’s low growl for a devastating tenor wail eerily reminiscent of Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale.

Now at this point, you’re probably thinking, “Shawn, none of this sounds all that heavy”! Feast your ears on “God Luck and Good Speed.” Not only will it be enough to meet your doom and gloom fix, but Caustic Casanova’s quirky sensibility remains intact. This is incredibly impressive considering how they could have opted to copy the original song note for note. Instead, the band doubles the length and sludge factor, adds clean vocals, and has their producer play a banjo and a glockenspiel! You may consider this sacrilegious, but after hearing both versions I can confidently say that this one will appease both fans of the band and Weedeater. It is quirky AND heavy, and easily my favourite track here!

Even though Pantheon: Vol.3 boasts the strongest songs, I highly recommend that you listen to The Pantheon Collection in its entirety. There is no better way to fully understand why this band is worth so much of your time. Okay, I might be fanboying super hard, but make no mistake, Caustic Casanova are the real deal. The way they play with SO many genres in just a matter of minutes without falling apart is an adrenaline rush. Metal purists might scoff at them, and more mainstream music fans might block their ears, but that’s what makes them so special. They are a band who refuse to be pigeonholed. If you’re on their wavelength then it probably means so do you.

I first heard of this band when they were announced as one of the first signings to Kylesa’s Retrofuturist label and they recently signed to Magnetic Eye Records (Cats on Amps, people, ya dig?). They’ve got a diverse and varied sound that rocks pretty dang hard, mixing elements of psyche rock, heavy blues, punk, and metal – good times ahead!

Take a few parts heavy stoner metal and mix in a few parts prog and psych and you might end up with the unique sound of Caustic Casanova.

I really dig the high energy combined with the heavy riffs, but at the same time we get the lively guitar work and time changes from post metal or prog. Caustic Casanova has a very fresh and catchy sound while still keeping its roots in heavy metal.

And check out their cover of Weedeater’s God Luck and Good Speed — an epic 9 minute brain basher that doubles the time of the original.

Here we have a strange one, Washington, D.C.’s Caustic Casanova delivering four tracks of widely varying “prog-punk/psych-metal/noise rock” on Pantheon: Volume 3. We trip out on opener ‘Clown Butter’, a funky, bass-infatuated instrumental that sounds like a very quirky Suicidal Tendencies (which makes it sound like Infectious Grooves, I guess). Second track ‘Everyone’s Goddamn Business’ reminds me of a reworked version of ‘Shapes Of Things To Come’ for some reason ( a track I never particularly liked), introducing the male/female vocal duality into the mix.

Things take a turn for the better on the final two tracks. ‘Stampede’ takes less twists and turns, rocking technically, but more conventionally, sounding like they let their inner Rush come through a bit. The nine minute ‘God Luck and Good Speed’ (a Weedeater cover [sic]) finishes off the EP on a high note with yet another stylistic shift. Beginning life as a banjo-led noise-scrape, it quickly shifts into monolithic doom territory, including a sped-up mid-section nod to the mighty Sabbath, Stefanie’s vocals really fitting in well with this style.

All together, a very quirky listening experience. I’m not particularly prone to proggy, experimental stuff, so this admittedly isn’t in my normal bailiwick … therefore, take the following with a grain of salt. Personally, I’d prefer that the band shave off the offbeat edges and focus on less ‘out there’ ideas, because they have the chops to be a good prog/doom band. Psych/noise fans will likely laugh at my suggestion though.

Magnetic Eye Records announced three pickups this week. Brume, who were posted about yesterday, Caustic Casanova, about whom I’m posting right now — fancy that! — and Leather Lung, and Leather Lung, who’ll get a post Friday. Busy label. Busy band as well, as I don’t know when you last saw a stack of Caustic Casanova tour dates, but they are generally fairly mighty undertakings. They’re a good pickup for Magnetic Eye even apart from their we’ll-just-go-ahead-and-hand-deliver-our-songs touring ethic, as their records pull off that rare feat — progressive punk — and make it heavy without falling all over themselves with self-indulgence in the process. Good stuff. I owe their The Pantheon Collection Vol. 1-3 a review — currently slated for Wed., April 24; because yes, I believe in advance scheduling (subject to change) — so uh, check back for that, I guess. Or you can skip my blah blah and just stream at at the bottom of this post. I won’t be offended either way.

CAUSTIC CASANOVA modestly describes themselves as, “a loud, heavy band from the nation’s capital,” but that hardly does justice to a band that’s been compared to bands ranging from Torche to Faith No More to Voivod… wtf? Hell, we don’t know, we just knew they belonged here with us. Happy to welcome this acrobatic D.C. three-piece to the roster, and you can look for their album to land sometime around late Summer! Seek them socially here in the meantime.

Pantheon: Volume 3 is the third chapter of Caustic Casanova’s “Pantheon” series which they started originally back in 2014. The original idea behind “Pantheon” according to the band’s BandCamp Page is:

“Caustic Casanova’s first in a series of 7 inches featuring an original song on one side, a cover on the other, and artwork paying tribute to the band being covered.”

That description is from their first Pantheon release which paid tribute to Pentagram. The second chapter released in 2017 paid tribute to The Melvins. The 3rd chapter pays tribute to Weedeater.

I’ve been a fan of Caustic Casanova for the last few years since I reviewed their last full length album Breaks back in 2015. Their music is very hard to describe. As they include nearly every genre of Heavy Music going. Sludge, Stoner, Punk, Noise, Psych, Progressive and even Indie Rock.

This band are always changing their style and it’s always a delight to listen what they come up with next. On Volume 3, the band offer 3 songs that is perhaps some of their heaviest and most twisted music to date. The music is a lo-fi and nightmarish vision of Doom, Psych, Noise, Grunge, Alt Rock and even Jazz. That’s the impression I receive with the superb opening song – Clown Butter.

The other two original songs – Everyone’s Goddamn Business and Stampede – takes influence from the bands earlier releases but it has a more modern Sludge Rock groove. The music is fast-paced and has a sense of urgency to it all.

People will perhaps be here for the main attraction and that is the fantastic cover of Weedeater classic – God Luck and Good Speed. Caustic Casanova offer a unique take on this classic song. This version is on twice as long as the original. As the band strip everything back and add a more drone based sound compared to the original. The band even add swirling psychedelic riffs to the song and make it their own song. This is one of the most interesting and best covers I’ve heard in some time.

Pantheon: Volume 3 is another winning record from Caustic Casanova. I hope there is a full length album coming out soon. As 20 minutes is not long enough to satisfy my cravings for new music from this great band.

If you’re new to the world of Caustic Casanova then this is the best place to start. Open your mind and enjoy the awesome weirdness of CAUSTIC CASANOVA.

This is a compilation release, of sorts. As can be inferred from the title, this contains three EPs originally released over the course of about 4 years. A collection of reworkings of old Caustic Casanova songs and cover songs, (Pentagram, Melvins, Weedeater), this is an eclectic and enjoyable way to get to know Caustic Casanova’s personable and charismatic brand of rock and roll. Considering the time between the releases contained on this album everything flows together well and the tracks work well as a holistic collection. With a style that mixes psychedelic rock, noise rock, and punk into an enjoyable mash of colour and vibrant energy, (not to mention a wealth of different instrumentation and vocals), The Pantheon Collection: Volumes 1-3 is highly recommended for fans of engaging psych rock and kicking jams. Plus, the cover features a cosmic cow with bananas for horns. How cool is that?

“Caustic Casanova Create A Cacophony of Carefully Curated Awesome On Pantheon: Volume 3”

Can we first just talk about how awesome the name Caustic Casanova is? Cuz it is! Not only does it call to attention the type of music that the DC trio brings to the table but also rolls off the tongue like some of the great Marvel Comics alliterations of the ’60’s.

But I digress.

If you haven’t been paying attention, Caustic Casanova has been continually putting out some solid rawk releases over the years and their most recent slew of releases are no exception. Pantheon: Volume 3 is their latest and the culmination of a trio of vinyl-only releases featuring some of their greatest tunes yet and an epic cover of Weedeater’s “God Luck and Good Speed”.

Beginning like something off of Frizzle Fry and then segueing into a sprawling jam, “Clown Butter” kicks off Pantheon: Volume 3 by highlighting the trio’s various talents like Francis Beringer’s frenetic bass work, Andrew Zonki’s shreds, and Stefanie Zaenker’s percussive perfection (And listen closely to hear her “dolphin training” in action as well).

“Everyone’s Goddamn Business” is the bee’s knees fer serious, though. You ever start an album that has a long instrumental intro and pray to the Gods that when the vocals enter that they don’t ruin the vibe? Well, it happens in my profession all the goddamn time. Not in the case of Caustic Casanova, though! After that jam-soaked funkified opener, CC get to the nitty gritty with a fuzzed out/desert rawk transcending behemoth with “Everyone’s Goddamn Business” and co-vocals from Zaenker and Beringer which, at times, is like Kylesa and Creepoid intertwined.

“Stampede” comes at listeners like a freight train with rumbling drums and bass before sauntering off into the unknown with a series of accented crashes that fade off into the ether like some of the best Down or Crowbar fade aways (“Bury Me In Smoke” and “On Frozen Ground” come to mind especially)

On the monolithic cover of Weedeater’s “God Luck and Good Speed”, drummer Zaenker really flexes her vocal muscles as well with a blues-fueled swagger reminiscent of Melissa Auf der Maur as Caustic Casanova expand the track from four minutes into this gargantuan nine plus minutes of sludge rawk goodness and enlist J.Robbins (Of Jawbox fame among others who also produced/engineered this EP) on banjo!

Pantheon: Volume 3 is out now and can be yours instantly by clicking right here where you can also order the vinyl formats if that’s more your bag. The three volumes of Pantheon are a vinyl-only release but were compiled for a special CD and Cassette version or digital album which can be streamed and purchased here. For upcoming live dates and more, including info on their upcoming full-length due later in 2019, head on over here.

“The Fruited Rosary”

Continuing a series they’ve been running since 2014, Caustic Casanova pack the A-side of Pantheon: Volume 3 with three songs of their own devising to complement the cover of Weedeater’s “God Luck and Good Speed” on the B-side. Leading with “Clown Butter”, the three-piece D.C. group blur together a number of styles, with punk, groove metal, stoner rock, and more evident in the twitchy riffs, funked-out bass-lines, and bumping drum-work. Keeping the track instrumental, the band twists and dips through enough nuttiness to pass as a lost Frank Zappa tune, while continually revving up the energy and pressure.

Carrying on from there with “Everyone’s Goddamn Business”, CC shift into a heavier gear, something akin to a proggier cut from Kyuss’ Welcome to Sky Valley, though the arrival of the dual vocals put my mind in the neighborhood of Acid King and general-purpose grunge. Carrying plenty of melodic jumps and fake-outs, the song runs through its duration before you can fully grasp everything it’s doing, and dives from there right into the last of the EP’s originals, “Stampede”. True to its name, the song rides up with a galloping riff and rising speed, pulling you along for the trip with an assortment of hooks and groove mutations.

A bit of banjo and fuzzy bass rumbling sets a suitable opening for the Weedeater cover, and despite the absence of Dixie’s distinctive voice, CC do a great job of paying homage to the original while giving it their own coat of style. It’s a little friendlier in mood and tone, and not just because of the cleaner vocals (though the growls are certainly present). The strings are a little warmer, the feedback less abrasive, and the guitar less choppy, but it all feels in line with the weird fun of the A-side’s contents. Though it all comes together at just about twenty minutes of material, there’s a lot to take in across the four tracks, and the band comes out sounding enthusiastic, inventive, and cool. Snag a copy on vinyl or digital; or, if you’ve got to have things on tape or CD, you can grab a collection of all three Pantheon releases (with an alternate version of “God Luck”) on either of those formats. In any event, do yourself a favor and check this crew out.

This was it for me. First time seeing Caustic Casanova, and not the last by any means! The band launched into their set, and musically it was like seeing a battle robot form for the first time. The parts seemed pretty unassuming, but once they started, you can see/hear it immediately: that groove. It’s fantastic. This trio brings it like a mutant bastard child of maybe Sabbath, Rush, and the Melvins among others. Not to be missed.

These state capital fun nuts blew me away when I saw them live. To this day I remember the show and since then I’ve never been able to get enough of their LP, Breaks. They reminded me of an old legendary punk band like X but more care free with the tonality of a damn good doom band. They get wild on this one with the riffs and keep things almost entirely instrumental; showing off their chops and prog influences while tearing through punk rock speed/attitude and bellowing doom grooves. There’s also a fuckin’ deliciously sneering cover of Weedeater’s God Luck and Good Speed that really gets it on. They trip out the vocals and instrumentals more with Stefanie (drums) and Francis (bass) really kicking ass on the twin microphones.