Customer Reviews

Antenna

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I highly recommend this for anyone burnt out on all the emo/punk/pop/core/whatever clone bands out there, this will restore your faith in rock and roll.
Magnetic and at once grandiose and unassuming, Cave In dream and wander the cosmic planes w/a somewhat unique clarity and cogniscant in-the-moment presence of being that suggests a centeredness and restraint which is startling.
Lyrically, they are simple and poignant without being cheesy or preachy; rather, their simple poetry works in inconspicuous synergy with the music.
Sonically and verbally, Cave In masterfully create an atmosphere which draws the listener into a dreamworld, yet they do it with a tempered and tactful restraint that actually heightens the crest and momentum of it's emotional relevance. Focusedly and unflinchingly ethereal and dreamy, while un-selfconcious.

I know this all sounds pompous and pretentious on paper, but it's true. This is a great album.

They are perhaps my greatest discovery of 2003, a year when so called metal grew up and became genius rock. I was in FYE when I first heard Cave In's single "Anchor" on the radio. I was entranced by the chorus and bought the cd on the spot. 2 years later I am still jamming to this cd every once in a while. It's a rare treat that delights the ear with hardcore hooks and spaced out ballads. I really wish this group would release a followup soon, as Antenna was by far one of my favorite releases of 2003.

With Antenna, Cave In finds a commercially competitive album. However, with commercialism comes a lack of creativity. Cave In has become an underground icon along with other's such as Hum and Swervedriver to create a small genre of music called space rock. With their previous releases, Cave In took the liberty to be very experimental. It paid off by gaining them a huge new fanbase. With Antenna, Cave In has obviously been guided by major label production ethics. This album has a few very radio friendly singles. These songs also happen to be the least original made by Cave In so far. Fans of their space rock sound may be a bit disappointed as Seafrost is the only song on the album that compares to the previous space ballads. However, this album is far, far better than any of that awful washed up modern rock that all sounds the same being played on the radio these days(cough cough..creed...cough cough). For that reason, this album is worth buying. Although it sounds more like Stone Temple Pilots or Foo Fighters than the Cave In I'm used to, it is an incredibly good album that will be stuck in your head and cd player for years to come. Yes, Cave In has abandoned their metal roots. No, they did not sell out. It was a waste for such a talented vocalist to sing stuff that sounded identical to every other metalcore band. Brodsky's vocals were typical to say the least. With Antenna, we see Brodsky becoming the best vocalist alive today. Hopefully he gains rock icon status someday. Buy this album if you don't have it....and while you're at it, pick up Brodsky's solo albums and his Side Project, New Idea Society to experience something different. Come on, you know you're tired of mainstream radio. Do yourself a favor and buy Brodsky's cds.

i suspect that this album will surprise some old cave-in fans, given their metalcore background.
the day i bought this cd, one of the clerks at the record store commented when he saw my selection, "oh man, i heard the new one is horrible. they sold out big-time and are trying to make money." the clerks comment sort of pissed me off.
true, cave-in are a vastly different band now than when they first started. remember all of those references towards the new cave-in as being progressive? well there you have it. real progression. too few bands these days actually progress. you cant really pin down progressive rock anymore. these days, its all relative to a given band.
antenna is really an excellent album. its far better and much more relevant than anything you will hear on tv or radio. distinguishable vocals, harmony, melody, excellent songwriting. this all makes for a modern rock phenomena. i must recommend antenna to all rock fans, modern and classic.
this is true prog.

I bought this album like i do most- without having heard it or any of their previous efforts.

First let me say, kids, if you're curious about this record and all you've ever listened to is modern rock radio, by all means get it. I imagine this record would be a good gateway from that dead-end world into a more interesting place. Don't download songs, just buy the whole thing and get a good pair of headphones.

I do a have a few critiques-

First of all the production is great on this record. There is good bit of super compressed and synthetic sounds, but it never gets annoying, that's a tough aesthetic to accomplish, i found it enjoyable to listen to.

While this IS heavy guitar rock, the bands' approach to ryhtym and melody is novel, the riffs and song structures always attempt to be unique and musical first and foremost. Sure, they have influences, but they don't show up enough to get in the way of you enjoying the record.

The songs and lyrics definitley strive to be unique, and therin lies my problem with this record. The lyrics are sometimes insightful metaphors and other times oblique and indecipherable. Same with the song structures. Sure this record is challenging- but sometimes the payoff is not worth the decription.

Add that up to Mssr. Brodsky's voice, which, while sounding near perfect on sci-fi landscapes like 'joy opposites', seems stiff and akwardly unlistenable on acoustic songs like 'beautiful son', and you have a record that can occasionally be challenging in a boring way. personally, i could've used some more screams, a la 'inspire', just a tad bit more humanity never hurts.

Am I glad I bought this record? Yes. While not perfect, it made me think- which is more than I can say for the highly polished turds most major labels send our way. Their reach slightly exceeds their grasp, but hey, the joy is really in hearing them try because this band can actually think and play at the same time.

i had high hopes for this record...and at first listen i was highly disappointed (although after a few listens it does grow on you). its most similar to tides of tomorrow, but the material, at least in my oppinion, is not as good. i kinda get the feeling the major label people stuck their hands in things a little too much...their trademark eerie/spacey sound is much less pronounced on this record than previous efforts. the original versions of stained silver, rubber and glue (aka bigger riff), and lost in the air are much better if you ask me, and i think their single "antenna" is probably the worst track on the cd. cave in is one of my all-time favorite bands, and believe me, i wanted (and still want) for them to hit it off big...i just dont think this album represents their best work...every other release with the exception of beyond hypothermia (which gets a 3.5 to 4 rating in my book) is an absolute 5. antenna...its a 3.

Don't read that review below me. Metal rules, but I like all kinds of rock music. Cave In is a great artist. I though that this was just another lame alternative artist at first, but then I realized that they aren't all that bad. It must have been the fact that they're toured with Converge all the time. Anyways, this disc is great, and I know what people say stuff like, "Cave In sucks. I liked the metalcore Cave In, not the space rock Cave In." Give this album a chance. Also, this album is not the first album to show that Cave In isn't just metalcore. "Jupiter" did that. "Antenna" is just one step forward for the group. Songs like "Anchor" and "Inspire" are great songs that proves that even the heaviest of artists can still play music whether they're mellower or not. This is highly recommended. "Jupiter" is also a great album. "Until Your Heart Stops" and "Beyond Hypothermia" are classics as well. Try something new, people.

I got this CD at a Foo Fighters concert, at which Cave In was an opening band. Sadly, I got there late and missed Cave In, and now I am furious about it. Oh well. The CD quickly became one of my favorites. Every song is memorable, there is good variety, and the instrumental work is excellent. Some of my favorites: "Stained Silver", "Inspire", "Anchor", "Youth Overrided", and "Lost in the Air". If you like this, also get Jupiter and Tides of Tomorrow. A must if you like modern rock bands, especially ones that can actually play their instruments well.

To tell you the truth, i hadn't heard of cave-in until they had a single on the radio. But i liked it, so i gave it a try. I got it for 7 bucks at used music store. And with no knowledge of their previous "space rock" style, i thought of this as straight-forward hard rock, in the best sense. the electronics add a lot of depth (seafrost) while adding power house rock (stained silver) and catchy, if somewhat repetitive riffs (inspire). The drumming is tight, the basslines are interesting, and the vocals have feeling without being whiny, high-pitched, or emo-ish. (even though this album is slightly emo). I can't wait to see what they've done in the past. Great album.

There are scores of albums I like every year, a select few that I love, and then the one or two like "Antenna" that become permanant fixtures in my life. You know the story: Cave In takes the space rock sound of "Jupiter", cleans it up in the studio, tries their hand at the whole "catchy hooks and memorable choruses" thing, and delves further into their appreciation of rock greats ranging from Zepplin to Failure to My Bloody Valentine. Every song is astounding, probably half are undeniably fantastically unstoppable, and repeat listens reveal Stephen Brodsky's best lyrics yet. Not everyone will fall for this album like I have, but all rock fans should at least find a work superior to the greater whole of what's out there. Insprining indeed.