Perfect Pitch Black

Perfect Pitch Black
Studio album by Cave In
Released	September 13, 2005
Recorded	January 2003 and April 2004 at New Alliance, January 2004 at Mad Oak
Genre	Metalcore, post-hardcore, alternative metal
Length	41:38
Label	Hydra Head (HH666-103)
Producer	Cave In, Andrew Schneider
Cave In chronology
Antenna (2003) Perfect Pitch Black (2005) Planets of Old (2009)

Perfect Pitch Black is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cave In. The album was released on September 13, 2005 through Hydra Head Records, and was the band's final release before going on hiatus in 2006. Cave In later reformed in 2009 and released the EP, Planets of Old.

Background

For the band's third studio album, Antenna, the band left Hydra Head Records and signed with major label RCA Records. Cave In was disappointed with Antenna (despite generally positive reviews^[1]) citing too much time and money spent on making the album, and too much control over the music from RCA.^[2] The band started writing heavier songs that incorporated more of Cave In's earlier sound, but RCA refused to release the album and wanted little to do with the demos the band had been recording.^[3] RCA Records granted Cave In ownership rights of the demos they had already recorded and dropped the band from the label in 2004.^[2] Originally unsure of how to release the album, Cave In later signed back to Hydra Head Records to release Perfect Pitch Black.^[4]

Lyrically, several songs on Perfect Pitch Black vent about the band's frustrations with their major label stint. According to guitarist and vocalist Stephen Brodsky, the act of trepanning is to drill a hole in the skull to alleviate stored up pressure in the brain, and the song "Trepanning" lyrically "fully expresses our sentiment at the time of this song-writing period."^[5]

The songs "Down the Drain" and "Droned" were originally released on Bootleg CD by Cave In during spring 2003, and "Trepanning" was originally released in 2004 on a SXSW Hydra Head sampler (demo version), a Daymare Recordings sampler and a Deathwish Inc. sampler.^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Absolutepunk.net	(83%)[6]
Lambgoat	(8/10)[7]
Pitchfork Media	(7.3/10)[8]
PopMatters	(8/10)[9]
Punknews.org	[10]
Stylus Magazine	B−[11]

Track listing

All songs written by Cave In, except where noted.

1. "Perfect Pitch Black" – 0:32
2. "The World Is in Your Way" – 5:09
3. "Off to Ruin" – 4:38
4. "Trepanning" – 4:07
5. "Paranormal" – 7:02
6. "Down the Drain" – 4:27
7. "Droned" – 2:59
8. "Ataraxia" – 5:26
9. "Tension in the Ranks" – 3:16
10. "Screaming in Your Sleep" – 3:23

Vinyl bonus track

11. "On the Prowl"

Japanese bonus tracks^[12]

11. "Prognosis" – 4:21
12. "Cave-In" (originally written by Codeine)

Personnel

Album personnel and recording history as listed in CD liner notes.^[5]

Cave In

• Stephen Brodsky – guitar, vocals
• John-Robert Conners – drums
• Adam McGrath – guitar
• Caleb Scofield – bass, vocals

Production and recording

• Cave In – production
• Andrew Schneider – production, engineering, mixing
• Nick Zampiello – mastering at New Alliance East in Boston, Massachusetts
• Track 6 and 7 recorded at New Alliance in January 2003
• Tracks 2, 4, 5, 9 and 10 recorded at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts in January 2004
• Track 3 and 8 recorded at New Alliance in April 2004
• Additional recording on tracks 2–5, 9 and 10 at Translator Audio in Brooklyn, New York in April 2005
• All songs mixed in May 2005 at Translator Audio except track 6 mixed in January 2004 at New Alliance and track 8 mixed in April 2004 at New Alliance

Art and design

• Aaron Turner – drawings and layout construction
• Adam McGrath – photographs
• Pete Stahl – photographs
• "A random European fan" – photographs

References