Concrete Caveman
Concrete Caveman is a ferocious force of a Deathpunk unit, with an uninhibited aggression that pushes the limits of genre. With origins in South Jersey, Concrete Caveman made Philadelphia their homebase, a decision with no regrets as they represent the underground Philly scene to the core.
The trio are not new to the music scene, playing in multiple bands together over the course of ten years. Mindless Flesh is one of the standout names from their early days, with Lord Scumbucket as the most recent band that Concrete Caveman formed from. As frontman Johnny’s writing style developed a heavier and faster edge, it was time for the band to reform and rename themselves for a fresh, pumped-up vibe.
Once the musical wheels started turning in the early stages of this trio, they kept digging in to seek a sound that went even harder. Johnny tossed aside his childhood acoustic guitar in favor of something louder and more aggressive – mainly, his own voice – and cites Black Sabbath as where it all started for him. Sean started the drums at only four years old as he strove to be different from the guitarists in his family, and hasn’t looked back, while crediting The Black Dahlia Murder as an influence. Jimmy feels he’s more of a punk in a metal world, but has touched a variety of genres since the days when he picked up the bass to play music with friends in high school. The band acknowledges their influences while asserting they’re not a “rip-off band”, nor trying to imitate any other artist, but to make something new and different while drawing inspiration and combining each of their own styles.
Concrete Caveman unleashes a brutality reminiscent of the death metal that Sean and Johnny found a shared love of early on in their friendship. Vocals and riff-building by Johnny form the base of each track, with some lyrics and vocal contributions from Jimmy, as they then fill out the rest as a collective. They avoid traditional rock and metal structures while experimenting with a mix-and-match sound. “Grindcore length without the Grindcore label” is one way the band puts it, challenging each other’s playing when it comes to speed and technique, pulling in blast beats, double bass, and twisting to a new tone.
Deathpunk is the term the band claimed to encapsulate their ever-changing and unexpected sound. Lyrically, they have political moments, but it doesn’t dominate their message – more so critiques of the modern world, the state of affairs, and the obsession with technology and social media that can lead a society to destroy itself. 2021’s riff-heavy Chasm EP, preceded by the 4-track release DEMO, demolishes the eardrums with violent sounds that Concrete Caveman aims to top as they continue their rampage.
Concrete Caveman forms the culmination of all the sounds this trio has explored so far, and these longtime buddies have stayed loyal to their local Philly underground origins as they continue to expand across the Northeast, Midwest, and beyond. They’re breaking out of the basement and busting into garages, warehouses, abandoned sites, and even a swamp-bound cemetery – anywhere they can raid with an onslaught of Concrete Caveman frenzy.
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Press
“While the band’s musical approach is closer to death metal with hints of punk, the varied vocal style is really what jumps out: things move from reverbed-out yells to death growls on a dime, with an energetic delivery.” – Decibel Magazine
“Blitzkrieg blast beats, Terrorizer-like guitar riffing, and a putrid mix of death grunts and shouted hardcore vocals coexist in Concrete Caveman’s sonic hellscape.” – No Echo
“Feral is grind at its most gleeful, channeling pit-friendly punk and hardcore as much as grindcore and death metal. The neanderthal metaphor this time would be of a character not unlike the one adorning Feral’s killer cover art grabbing fellow moshers in headlocks so tight their eyes burst from their sockets. The trio call themselves “primordial death punk,” an awesome sobriquet that sums up their riotous approach. Very excited to hear more from this band.” – Invisible Oranges
“This album has tags like ‘deathgrind’, but after a few spins, I can clearly say, that guys don’t give a fuck about genre frames. Personally, I love it, a young band with ambitions and personal ideas about extreme music” –Good Guys Go Grind
“A strong offering of death metal from Philadelphia’s CONCRETE CAVEMAN. Some touches of punk-leaning styles like grindcore and powerviolence (especially in the song lengths), but this is definitely a death metal record. I don’t think the production is really good enough for an album of this sort and makes it sound weak at times, but the sharp, tight musicianship does make up for it. Worth a listen if you’re into death metal.” – Maximum RNR
“Smashing heads breaking bones, ripping flesh, and loving every single moment of it, Concrete Caveman make no attempts to be nuanced here. It’s all about nastiness and that comes through strongly as each track is kept quite short and to the point. Yet that just makes the noise all the more palatable. Concrete Caveman’s grisliness is brazened, but it’s also quite exciting to listen to.” – Carl Fisher (GBHBL)