Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalcore scene. The band later experimented with other genres, receiving mainstream recognition for their 2003 RCA Records album Antenna and its lead single "Anchor," which had an overall alternative rock style. The group went on hiatus in 2006, later reforming in 2009 with the release of the Planets of Old EP, followed by the White Silence LP in 2011, both of which saw a return to Cave In's earlier and heavier sound.
History
Formation and early releases (1995–1998) Cave In was formed by Jay Frechette and Stephen Brodsky in the early spring of 1995, when the two began to write songs in Jay's parents' basement. They named themselves Cave-In as a homage to the Codeine song, Cave-In, from the album Frigid Stars. The initial line-up consisted of Frechette on vocals, Brodsky on guitar and vocals, Adam McGrath on second guitar, JR Conners on drums and Justin Matthes on bass. They would soon release a demo and a handful of split 7-inch releases with bands such as Gambit, Piebald and Early Grace, and see Matthes briefly replaced by Andy Kyte. 1997 saw Cave In's first release; a self-titled 7-inch on Aaron Turner's Hydra Head Records. Following that release, the band embarked on a three-week East Coast tour, with a handful of dates supporting Morning Again and Bird of Ill Omen. That tour was, however, cut a week short due to Jay Frechette's prior obligations to join and tour with Boston-based Ten Yard Fight. After Frechette returned from a month on tour with Ten Yard Fight it was a mutual decision for him to leave Cave In and to join Ten Yard Fight full-time. At this point, Dave Scrod stepped in for a short-lived tenure as interim vocalist. In 1998, most tracks from previous 7-inch releases and recordings were compiled to form Beyond Hypothermia.
Until Your Heart Stops and Jupiter (1998–2001) Two weeks before the band was to record their first proper full-length, Scrod left the band, pushing guitarist Stephen Brodsky to a position as vocalist, and Caleb Scofield filled in the then-vacant position on bass. Their 1998 debut studio album Until Your Heart Stops featured Brodsky as lead vocalist. The album's release was followed by extensive touring.
Before their next full-length, Cave In began experimenting with their sound offering Creative Eclipses, a five-song EP which indicated a space rock direction the band would then pursue for several years, as opposed to their metal roots. Then, in 2000, they released Jupiter, receiving a good deal of press. The band was featured in Spin Magazines "Sound Advice" section, where their new sound was described as "emo-metal Radiohead", though the band themselves rejected this categorization. Jupiter also caught the attention of major labels, who began courting the band after its release.
RCA Records and Antenna (2001–2004) In April 2001, the band signed to RCA Records. In 2002, they recorded and released a six-song EP for Hydra Head, titled Tides of Tomorrow, with an even further-expanded melodic approach. In 2003, the band released Antenna, their debut for RCA. Antenna had more success than previous albums and Cave In was chosen to play the second stage on the 2003 Lollapalooza tour. After Lollapalooza, Cave In toured Europe in support of the Foo Fighters and Muse. The band began to revisit their metal roots during concerts, and started writing heavier material, which ultimately led to a mutual agreement to cut ties with RCA Records shortly after.
Perfect Pitch Black and hiatus (2005–2006) Cave In returned to Hydra Head Records and released Perfect Pitch Black on September 13, 2005.
Following the release of Perfect Pitch Black, Conners departed from the band, due to an injury and temporarily relocating to Germany, and was replaced by Converge drummer Ben Koller. With Koller, the band recorded the songs "Shapeshifter" and "Dead Already," which were released as a cassette single that was sold during 2005–2006 tours. According to postings on Hydra Head Records website news, Adam McGrath was temporarily listed as "ex-Cave In guitarist" in his new band Clouds.
In November 2006, Cave In announced that they were officially on hiatus.