Cloak Sinks to Venomous Depths

Cloak’s debut 7-inch, “In the Darkness, the Path” b/w “The Hunger,” was issued last year on Boris Records. It instantly became a touchstone release for an Atlanta metal scene that’s having a hell of a creatively rich decade. Well-deserved attention rained down on the record, including a track premiere by the international tastemakers at Decibel.

Much of that praise centered on the band’s refusal to stick to a specific metal sub-genre. Instead of painting themselves into a black metal corner, the four-piece cherry-picked their favorite heavy rock elements en route to creating their own sound. This allows them to make songs that appeal to a wider range of listeners, as opposed to making obscure music for a niche audience. Such creative looseness makes the dark elements of the songs darker and the riffs and hooks that tie everything together all the more memorable.

Without the usual boundaries, this sound reigns supreme again on the two lead digital singles from debut album To Venomous Depths (out Nov. 10 on Season of Mist). “Beyond the Veil” and “To Venomous Depths/Where No Light Shines” are sprawling, mystical, and bleak – no gimmicks or easy-to-classify sub-genre tropes necessary.

Cloak plays an album release show at the Earl on Nov. 18.

Photo by David Parham.