Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
By Sam Sutherland
December 19, 2005
After being unceremoniously booted from next-big-thing the Most Serene Republic, and having his name mysteriously removed from the writing credits on the second pressing of their debut, Peter Van Helvoort has struck back with a musical vengeance on You Lost the Human Race. Conceived as an atheistic re-interpretation of the Old Testament, the songs here blend the hard-hitting emo of Braid with demented campfire sing-alongs ending in Locust-esque blasts of spastic noise. Van Helvoort’s love of strange group vocals, a holdover from some of the more interesting moments he penned on Most Serene Republic’s The Underwater Cinematographer, is in full force here, filling out the experimental sound of songs such as “Death; Under the Excruciating Weight of…” While Van Helvoort’s vocals take some time to warm up to, the disc rewards repeat listens, just as its intricate, beautiful artwork demands a careful eye. - Exclaim! Magazine (Canadian Music Monthly)
December 2005
Bryan Wyshnicki
Many have heard the story of Cain and Abel; however this particular story takes on a whole new dynamic when told through song. Cain and Abel’s debut release, You Lost the Human Race, is a well written concept album which musically tells a story, which you can find in your everyday bible, of the creation of man, his greed and his jealousy, with a fresh indie pop sound.
The story starts with bells that create the setting of church on a Sunday morning. A pastor then speaks to the congregation asking them to join him in the singing of the first song. Joined by a choir and an acoustic guitar the congregation sings “I could have lived in your image”, a line which is repeated throughout the album, you can’t help but feel the urge to sing along. The first half of the album basically tells the story of Adam and Eve, the latter half tells the story of Cain and Abel. It also delivers a very powerful message, don’t believe everything you read, question it. However the album is not an assault on the Christian faith. Each song is powerful instrumentally, delivering catchy guitar riffs with powerful drums. The diverse use of instruments help generate a highly original sound for a genre that is beginning to be saturated, the noble kazoo even makes an appearance in the song, Bless this mess which sounds so darn cute.
Overall this album is very well written with a highly original sound; Cain and Abel have delivered, defiantly worth a listen.
- Vibe Radio
Discography
You Lost the Human Race as Told by Cain & Abel" - 2005 (Indie)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Cain and Abel began as a humble side project for the Most Serene Republic (formerly Sunday League Records, now Arts & Crafts) guitarist/song writer Peter van Helvoort (ex The Goodbye Celebration, MCODE, The Most Serene Republic). As an outlet for his own tastes in music, Cain and Abel encompassed all he held close to heart and everything he hoped his music could accomplish. With hopes of creating pop progress, Peter began to pour every ounce of energy available to begin production of Cain and Abels debut album You Lost the Human Race. Taking main influences from the Beatles, Say Anything, the Band, and everything by the Kinsella brothers, Peter set out to create something simple and beautiful.
Over the one-year period between then and the release of the album, Cain and Abel drastically changed - gaining a fan base and a change of aim after only a few shows. The album had gone from a social statement concerning how humans treat each other to a full out concept album based on our own destruction of the earth. Reading, revision, and research were constantly carried out to create an unbiased product for the listener to digest and then make their own conclusions from what they had heard.
Since the release of Cain and Abels first CD, the band is stronger then ever catching the eyes and ears of many people. In under a year, the band has already shared the stage with Anberlin, Mikoto, Cursed, Owen, The New Amsterdams, Silverstein, Moneen, The Junction, Sleeper Set Sail, Rescue and Sydney, have done numerous college radio appearances, have shown initiative in booking their own mini tours/landing spots on festivals like Over the Top Fest, have been featured in Canadas Exclaim! Magazine as one of their bands to watch out for in the December 2005 issue and most recently have signed to Sunday League Records to release their next album Up North. Awake, healthy, and alert, C and A hit the road this summer with a sturdy and energetic live backbone of Jeff van Helvoort (guitar), George Gaskill Cadwallader (bass), and Kelly Bilan (drums). Cain and Abel are not changing the world they are just changing.
More info:
www.myspace.com/cainandabel
www.purevolume.com/cainandabel
www.sundayleaguerecords.com
Links