 One
of the leaders of the current western heavy music revolution,
Calgary, Alberta’s Caveat released their debut album, The
Biggest Secret (independent), in May 2004, to favourable reviews
from the local music community. More than a year later, the group
returned with a self-titled EP that has their fans banging their
heads in approval. If The Biggest Secret was the sound of a band
trying to find it niche, Caveat’s follow up EP is an unapologetic
shout to forge ahead, devil horns to the sky. To understand the
evolution of this unique band, one only has to look at the origins
of Caveat.
In
December of 2001, local vocalist/guitarist Greg Musgrave (ex-Toke/Stonewater/One
Step Down member) recruited former industrial rockers Cryptomnesia’s
bassist Terry Baldwin to join himself and drummer Jawad Boloch
in what would become Caveat. The original intention of the members
was to have two completely different styles intermixed into one
band, enabling Caveat to perform one really heavy set and one
acoustic/melodic set at each performance.
However,
the next year saw a number of changes to both the line-up and
the sound of Caveat. Boloch announced he was leaving the band
early 2002 and was replaced by former Old School drummer Rodney
Maxwell. Meanwhile the addition of Baldwin allowed the band to
incorporate a second voice and delve into the world of harmonizing
and cross vocalising, which would soon become a key ingredient
to the Caveat sound. Also during this time, the writing style
of Musgrave and Baldwin was getting more experimental, resulting
in a heavier and more progressive sound. Instead of keeping Caveat
as two separate definitive styles, it was decided to use more
of an experimental/ progressive approach, combining the heavy
and acoustic elements into a multi-layered sound.
In
July of 2003, B.C. rhythm man Casey Rogers (ex-Stonewater/Amoral
Minority/Self Control member) replaced Maxwell on drums. This
addition was to have a noticeable impact on the music of Caveat
as Casey brought both the diversity and progressive edge needed
to elevate the whole sound of the band to the next level, as well
as a third voice to experiment with.
Following
the release of The Biggest Secret, with the members of Caveat
already leaning towards a heavier sound, the band realized their
desire to broaden their sound with the addition of a second guitarist.
This led to ex-Thorazine guitarist Joe Sikorski (Blacksky) joining
the band in July of 2004. Sikorski’s raw talent and creative
edge defined the characteristics needed to bring Caveat’s
sound to a true multi-layered musical experience.
 With
all the pieces finally in place, Caveat prepared for their second
recording sessions by playing a consistent schedule of live shows
in and around Western Canada. Late this summer Caveat entered
Sundae Sound Studios to record their self-titled EP showcasing
3 new tracks and 2 re-recorded, heavier versions of tracks from
The Biggest Secret. The new EP marks a significant growth in both
song writing & dynamics, with the band firing on all cylinders.
Ignoring the traditional metal song-writing format in favour of
a more experimental approach, Caveat has created a distinctive,
multi-layered sound, blending booming death metal vocals with
melodic three part vocal harmonies and ever-changing time signatures.
 After
the success of 2005’s self titled EP, which was rated by
Beatroute Magazine as one of 2005’s top Calgary releases,
the band decided to morph yet again seeing Greg & Joe trading
in their 6 string guitars in for 7 strings & Caveat began
an extensive writing session over 2006 for what would become their
3rd album & 1st release through Toronto, Canada based label
Cyclone Records. June 1, 2007 marks the release of Caveat's 3rd
& most involved album to date entitled 'Red'. The 7 song opus
showcases their steady writing & musical growth over 2006
which has resulted in a much more focused collection of songs
delivering both a heavier & more technical approach to the
song writing resulting in Caveat’s most complex & elaborate
album yet. With 'RED', Caveat have assembled a collection of multi-layered
musical chaos that breaks all rules of conventionality, while
still maintaining the key elements that have gained Caveat their
current fan base. The band continues to push forward an awakening
of Canadian metal with a fresh and distinct sound.
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