Chaka - Neanderthal Tales

I'm leery when I get anything from any band willing to attach a gimmicky sub-sub-sub-genre label to their music. Chaka are no different in this respect, running with the label Cro-Magnon metal. Elsewhere, the term "Cave Metal" appears. Thematically, I'm all for the content. Years back I waded through a detailed anthropological account of stone-age tools, weapons, and flint napping techniques for fun which, naturally, was heavy in detailing differences between early hominids and human ancestors. Neanderthals generally are regarded as being stockier and bulkier; the brutish cartoon cave-man type. I believe my first thoughts regarding the project was my initial reaction to the EP artwork; thought provoking and so simple I couldn't help but love the concept presented and the comparison made. It also speaks to the fact that Chaka is focused on human history, progress, and evolution and not just early humans scraping rocks together and combing their long scraggly beards with pineapple fronds. So is the label they are hunting with sharp and accurate? 

Coincidentally, a few years back, myself and Maximum Oversatan's Atomic Destructor from Hell had been seriously considering doing a cave-man based speed metal band in a Carnivore vein and had a fully realized concept as well as had gotten together to attempt writing some material. Naturally, the only way to create such bulky, barbaric, and necessarily chunky Stone-age themed metal meant only bass guitars would be used, the stage set would be dressed up to appear to be a cave opening with jungle foliage, we we would wear animal pelts and be covered in dirt, and have half-naked cave-women on a stage with an actual real campfire with real meat on a spit roasting as we blasted out oversimplified songs about the haggard yet simple existence of early humans. We would then pull apart and devour the meat roasting on the fire at the end of the set as our basses draped us in beautiful low-end feedback. I believe we were going to call the band Caveslut and still lay claim to that band name. You heard it here first!

Chaka do some of these things well. Basically all the musical components Chaka hits on the head and while there were some minor disappointments such as not all the songs being about stone-age warfare, driving wildebeests off cliffs into pits of spikes, searching for the perfect raw core to produce flint from, or throwing spears at each other for primitive enjoyment, everything else contextually is solid. I read the lyrics to the songs before I actually listened to the music, and was astonished at just how well written the content was on that end - probably better written than what would have come out of Caveslut. Mark Sokoll's lyrics are witty, thoughtful, and clever such as in "The Battle Hath Begun" as the song culminates with "Since we're not the sons of Adam, only atoms of the sun." The first three songs all follow suit, but final track "Defekt" doesn't quite live up to the strong pattern set by it's predecessors; I also have a personal disdain for replacing "c's" with "k's" for no apparent reason.

Along with the strong lyrics, main-man Mark Sokoll's bass playing fits the mold for what I had also envisioned being a necessary component for this style of metal. Chunky, massive bass tones wash over the EP, with distorted clanks and clatters cruising through the mix. Guitars are thin and crisp, allowing huge amounts of room for the bass, while also easily finding their own space. Chaka lays claim to sounding "in the vein of old Celtic Frost, Venom, Cro-Mags, and Black Sabbath" however personally, I described them to a friend as even parts Carnivore's Retaliation and Megadeth's "Dawn Patrol." It's a strange combination when you add in the hardcore background of Sokoll and Cro-Mags which is also audible. "Anthroapology" will make sense of this all to you, and it's my pick for best track as well. Not only do the lyrics here seem to resonate most strongly with the paleolithic themes I am looking for most, but the plodding pace resembles the hulking frames of our ancient ancestors ambling about the terrain in search of berries and foraging for their next meal. The "Dawn Patrol" vibes given off here are strongest as well, which is such a unique feature that I can't help but appreciate that weirdness of it all; Chaka truly find their own space for the two-and-a-half minute length.

Chaka has several strong components going for them beyond the theme. Mark Sokoll's vocal performance is passionate and vibrant, full of more personality than is lugged around in the average pelt bindle. The bass-heavy tones are refreshing for the genre though I can't help but seem to be noticing way more bass-heavy mixing of late - I am not complaining. If some of the extraneous nuances can be refined, Chaka has a good chance of really finding their own sound; they're hovering around the entrance to that hallowed cave now really. I would drop some of the vocal effect processing, maybe rough up the production just enough to add some more grit to the sound, stick with the nastier melodic sentiments of "The Battle Hath Begun" and "Anthroapology" versus the bluesier vibes of "Flak." Though originally hesitant towards the potential gimmick barrelling my way, Chaka rinsed away my skepticism and misgivings. Neanderthal Tales is more than anything else proof that originality can still be found in the foundational metal genres.