Cloak re-envisions black metal

When local metal act Cloak debuted live last September, the band unveiled a blend of black-metal gloom and memorable rock ‘n’ roll hooks that had been brewing since 2013. “We were more of a death-metal band in 2013,” says singer and guitarist Scott Taysom. “Now, it’s obviously not like that. That hiatus was a good thing because it gave us some time to think about what we wanted to do.”

The band’s willingness to blur the lines between metal subgenres has its debut Boris Records 7-inch, “In the Darkness, the Path” b/w “The Hunger,” on the radar of metalheads far and wide. Attention outside the city, including a track premiere by international tastemakers Decibel, rewards the band’s planned yet uncontrived sonic evolution.

Taysom, drummer Sean Bruneau, bassist Matt Scott, and guitarist Max Brigham’s shared love of various forms of heavy rock music informs Cloak’s seemingly boundless sound. “No one remembers the verses to some obscure underground death-metal band from 1992. You remember the verse to a Scorpions song because it’s simple and you can cling to it,” Bruneau says. “We realized that no one was capturing the feel of black metal and dark music expression with those familiar AC/DC-type song structures.”

This creatively free approach is done in part to play up each member’s strong suits. “We’re doing what just comes to us,” Taysom says. “When we started the band, we were doing something that wasn’t us. Personally, I can’t write death-metal songs. I’ve always been more of a rock guitar writer.”

Hard rock and classic metal elements do not drown out the brutality or bleak atmospheric vibes on “In the Darkness, the Path.” Nor does it nullify the almost gothic vibe of the flip side’s mid-song breakdown. Taysom’s lyrics for both songs have a darker, spiritual edge informed by personal experiences instead of genre-specific clichés. “What’s the point of being a dark band if it doesn’t have a generally dark message?” Bruneau says. “Anyone can write about cutting people’s throats. We definitely know how to channel that dark energy and question perceptions of truth.”

With a debut full-length in the works and upcoming local shows with the likes of darkened metal vets Withered and stoner rock visionaries Windhand, Cloak has a wealth of opportunities to expand its audience inside the Perimeter and beyond. “If all you ever wanted to do was listen to the same thing all the time, you can sit in your bedroom and do that,” Bruneau says. “The point of going out is to get exposure. When I was a kid, I’d get exposed to different kinds of bands when I went out and the different ideological outlets of those bands.”