Orange County, CA metal band CEREBELLION has released a new 4-song EP, titled 'Something You Can Say', on the heels of their third album 'Beyond Our Failures', which dropped in late 2020. The quartet, consisting of twin brothers Joe (vocals) and John Arnold (guitar), built a fervent underground following in 2020 by releasing six killer singles ahead of the album release. After the album dropped and with no end to the pandemic in sight, the band was faced with the big question..."what’s next?"
Guitarist John Arnold states, “my relationship with my long-time girlfriend had just ended; we’re in the middle of a lockdown and I can’t go anywhere. I suddenly found myself obsessing over guitar playing in a way that I hadn’t since I was in high school. I was inspired...and the music just started pouring out.”
Amidst the pandemic, the band traveled back and forth to Las Vegas to work with Logan Mader (Gojira, Five Finger Death Punch, Devildriver), who co-produced, mixed and mastered 'Something You Can Say' to achieve Cerebellion’s heaviest and best sounding material to date.
Vocalist Joe Arnold says, “Logan, being a guitarist and a producer of super-heavy bands, I was pleasantly surprised with his attention to my vocal melodies and harmonies. He added some really great melodic ideas.” The distance, however, forced the band to record most of the guitars, bass, drums, and half of the vocals at their own home studios in Orange County. Bassist Marc Battung notes, “the limitations of the pandemic really forced us to expand our self-sufficiency in pre-production and recording.”
The result is a production that you would expect from Mader: heavy as hell, tight and in-your-face but still retaining that raw energy from the band.
'Something You Can Say' EP:
Buy the record: https://cerebellion1.com/something-you-can-say-ep
Stream the EP: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cerebellion/something-you-can-say
With a mix of metalcore and post thrash riffery, hooky aggressive singing a la Hetfield, intense double bass drumming, and Spanish guitar melodies, Cerebellion manages to add twists and turns without detracting from the focus of the song. Joe Arnold declares “we pride ourselves on each song having its own identity and soul.” Jesse Cannon from Musformation (YouTube channel) adds “You hear something real in their sound that is often missing from music today.”
Joe’s lyrics on “Something You Can Say” reflect the perils of the digital world being constantly in our faces and the divisiveness and addictive behavior it breeds, which has become all too apparent during the pandemic. In direct contrast to the theme of last year’s 'Beyond Our Failures', “Feel It Awake” from the new EP, looks at the toll of examining one’s worth through an “all or nothing” lens and opts instead for trying to be more present in the simpler moments in life.
According to Joe, “we set out to write great songs and we’re very proud of what we accomplished. We think we outdid ‘Beyond Our Failures’.” What do you think?
Cerebellion Links