Cantus #9 begins by banging on the door with the crisp rattatattat of the drumbeat, before exploding through them with a truly monstrous guitar riff. The song has this dark and clawing energy that broods underneath a punchy and precise production that creates a sound that is as unforgettable as it is powerful.
This Summer as a project maintains an air of mystery. The songs serve up honest and confessional lyricism atop a haunting horror movie soundtrack filled with growling guitars and roaring vocals. It feels like a daunting trip through a boss fight in your favourite horror game or the explosive climax of a zombie movie. It has this dynamic energy that pulsates at its core but the production, instrumentation, and keen ear add a layer of musicianship that both grounds and elevates the sound.
Lyrically the song toys with the creepiness inherent in nursery rhymes with the repetition in the chorus and listing of numbers. From there it builds this building dread and delights in the universal fear of the dark and the unknown. Rather than just being horror themed for the sake of it, like all good horror movies, it draws on the root cause of these fears and turns the mirror inwards to provide some introspection and meaning to the madness.
This is a sound you can dive into headfirst and get thoroughly lost in. It’s rich and every layer is a more labyrinthian than the last. At it’s most simple it’s a head banger classic, under closer inspection it provides a tapestry that becomes more and more interesting as you pull apart the stitches of its influences and instrumentation.
Words by Matt Miles
