CAUSTIC LYE


"That That Is Is" (Fervid; 2006)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

The lead singer of Caustic Lye sounds like Zo Vizza of Pulse Ultra on a few tracks and Stephen Richards from Taproot on others. The vocals are the most interesting part of this band, not to take anything away from the bruising guitar and drum/bass assault. There are some aggressive tendencies being played out on this disc. The song structures are not typical with the standard growling vocals and I like that; it shows that a band can expand past what is expected. Being that, the music does not have a steady pace but a stumbling gallop with a few interjections of surprising acoustic pause.

The riffs are not instantly memorable; they are produced more for the structure of the song. I had to listen to a few tracks at least twice to get the feel of the band's musical message. 

Caustic Lye's official website claims that they are a great live band. I truly appreciate that a live show with enough energy to jump-start a thousand trucks is a great thing but the listener won't find all that zeal on "That That Is Is."

In researching the band's name (which is always interesting), I discovered that Caustic Lye is a substance that dissolves and corrodes. I hope that in the future, this band can correlate that definition into their music a little more.

Caustic Lye: Jespah Torres - Vocal Dischord; Nathan Tanner - Six Strings; Raul Uribe - Low End Frequencies; Jeremy Ferguson - Drums and Programming.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/causticlye


"That That Is Is" (Fervid Recordings; 2006)

Reviewed by Snidermann

What a great job I have! Reviewing music for Rough Edge lets me discover bands I might not normally be exposed to. For example, take Caustic Lye and their "That That Is Is." The band has a sound and style that is, at a glance, just like about fifty or so other bands out there today. However, upon further reflection, Caustic Lye are deeper and more put together than I at first thought. 

Initially, the vocals are a little hard to appreciate but, after a while, you finally discover exactly what the singer is trying to communicate. The music is deep and well thought out and rocks hard and heavy. 

"That That Is Is" is a great CD and Caustic Lye is a very talented band. The more I listen to this CD, the more I like it and the more I appreciate this band's talents.

Caustic Lye: Jespah Torres - Vocal Dischord; Nathan Tanner - Six Strings; Raul Uribe - Low End Frequencies; Jeremy Ferguson - Drums and Programming.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/causticlye


Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.


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Revised: 15 Apr 2024 15:20:25 -0400.