Cavity - "Laid Insignificant", 1998-2008

Like many other Cavity records, "Laid Insignificant" has a bit of a troubled history; originally released in 1998 as a lengthy EP on Bacteria Sour Records and featuring 6 songs, including a Septic Death cover version, it was reissued in 2008 by Hydra Head Records; this version included unearthed material from the same sessions that was inexplicably left out of the original, bringing the total running time to 33 minutes and making it the de facto third Cavity full-length album. For some reason, the Septic Death cover was left out this time, and it's a pity, since it was a worthy reinterpretation of the original; another song recorded during the same sessions, "Covered Twice", originally released on a compilation, was also omitted. The addition of both songs would have brought the running time to about 40 minutes, making it an even more satisfying reissue. This said, the Hydra Head version of "Laid Insignificant" is clearly the one to go for these days; it also features an interesting new artwork by Aaron Turner as well as new graphics, although I must say that I still prefer the old artwork by Pushead (pictured above).

The album was recorded at the classic Morrisound Studios in Florida and engineered by Steve Heritage of Assück. It doesn't sound like a typical Morrisound production at all, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing; Cavity managed to retain its typical organic sound, with very natural-sounding drums and a live-in-studio approach to the material.

"Laid Insignificant" is the album where Cavity finally leaves the obvious Eyehategod worship behind and goes for a more personal sound; while the influence of the New Orleans forerunners can still be heard throughout the record, the band tries to stay away from the more southern-fried riffing style and brings back some of the harsher, more angst-ridden tones of the debut album "Human Abjection", as well as its hardcore/punk overtones. This constant interchange of faster, convulsive rhythms - almost bordering on noise rock in songs such as the title track and "9 Fingers on the Spider" - and sludgy, crushing slowdowns gives the album a very tense atmosphere; a few songs, most notably "I May Go" and "A Bitter Cold Spell", even feature eerie clean guitar sections that, paired with the ever-tortured vocals of Rene Barge, increase the feeling of dread and isolation.

The constant change in dynamics throughout the record makes for an engaging listening experience, conveying a feeling of disorientation, with moments of terrifying agony such as the long break in the middle of "The Woods". Cavity detuned its guitars for this album, making the overall impact even heavier than before.

The band also reprises some of its older material, with a new version of the classic "Marginal Man Blues" (here losing the "blues" from its title) and the punk-infused "Inside My Spine" (from 1993's "Live on WFMU"), here split into two tracks titled "Spine I" and "Spine II". It maybe was an unnecessary move, but on the other hand, they're probably the best versions of those songs.

"Laid Insignificant", in its full-length glory, could probably have been the breakthrough album for Cavity; the band would have still achieved some success with the "Supercollider" album just the year later, as it's often considered the pinnacle of the band's output, although it missed the essential vocals of Barge, as well as the unpredictable dynamics and the lacerating feeling of alienation that can be found here.