Cause – La suma de la memoria

In 2015, Cause released their first EP, A la deriva, which introduced them to the world. Claustrophobic feelings and melodic guitars with fast beats were what this group of four boys from Santiago, Chile created together. Though they still had a lot of maturing to do, they were certainly worth keeping an eye and an ear on. After a 2016 split with Chilean band Derrocar, they recently released the short LP La suma de la memoria. Let’s see how their sound has evolved and matured.

The first thing you notice is the improvement of the production. Maybe because they are closer to the sound they want to reach and the sound they want to represent the band and of course their songs. In general, they still have that Verse vibe that I always felt, something that is also reflected in the lyrics, but now there are some melodic arrangements in the vein of The Effort, Dead Swans or even Goodtime Boys.

All the anger we hear and feel in these songs is also accompanied by melancholy or sadness, but the lyrics clearly say that Cause believe in something better and reject conformity and passivity. Things are bad, but there’s a future you can build for yourself. Here’s the classic sense of camaraderie that seems to have been lost in modern hardcore, and I appreciate that this band still has it.

With all these clues, you probably already know what Cause sounds like. Rhythmic chords and nice arpeggios, a bass that’s always flowing and not afraid to get melodic, with fast and slow passages in contrast. You know, classic Bridge Nine Records stuff. For me, the lyrics are actually more interesting than the music itself, which might not be good for non-Spanish speakers. Nevertheless, I encourage anyone who likes this kind of sound to give it a listen. It’s worth your time.