Since its inception as an one-man project in 2004, Caїna has been steadily progressing and expanding its boundaries, always looking to add more to just being a contemporary black metal band. Having drawn influences from almost everything that integrates sufficiently with black metal, from drone and dark ambient to shoegaze and post rock, Caїna have already put together a rich and impressive body of work which many bands of the genre would be jealous of. Not many experimental black metal bands get to release eight albums plus a few EPs, demos and splits these days, without overusing ideas or repeating themselves to the point of causing unbearable boredom to the listener. Fortunately this is not the case with Christ Clad In White Phosphorus and Caїna in general.
On the new album Caїna's core unit of Andy Curtis-Brignell and Laurence Taylor is reinforced by noise/improv duo Warren Schoenbright and Integrity's Dwid Hellion, performing as Vermapyre. Christ Clad In White Phosphorus finds Caїna this time flirting with eighties darkwave, insisting on their familiar fondness of dark ambience and exploring the harshest and darkest industrial sounds they can achieve. The result is not easy to digest, but it's undeniably an exciting listening adventure.
Regarding the album's theme, Christ Clad In White Phosphorus picks things up from where last year's Setter of Unseen Snares left off. If Caїna's previous album was about the end of days, this new one is an exploration of the dystopian future that followed the catastrophe. As Caїna's album titles get more and more imaginative with time, so do the themes, so does the actual music.
Arm yourself with courage and give this album a chance to grow on you.
Christ Clad In White Phosphorus is out now on Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings.
Buy Vinyl
ZR