Before their next album, Cave In began experimenting with their sound with Creative Eclipses, a five-song EP which indicated a new space rock direction. Their next album was Jupiter, released in 2000. The album received a good deal of press including a feature in Spin Magazine, in which they were described as an "emo-metal Radiohead," which Cave In would reject. The album also caught the attention of major labels who began courting the band after its release. The band released the six-song EP Tides of Tomorrow on Hydra Head Records before accepting a deal from RCA Records.
In 2003, Cave In released their major debut album Antenna. It had more success than their previous albums and earned them a spot on the second stage of 2003's Lollapalooza tour. After Lollapalooza, they toured Europe in support of Foo Fighters and Muse. Shortly after, the band began to revisit their metal roots during concerts, and new heavy material led to a mutual agreement to cut ties with RCA Records. 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. He was replaced by Converge drummer Ben Koller. In November of 2006, Cave In announced an indefinite hiatus.
In April of 2009, Cave In announced that they had ended their hiatus. With Conners back in the band, they had recorded a four-song EP titled Planets of Old which was initially made available on vinyl at their reunion show on July 19, 2009 at Great Scott in Allston, MA. The EP was released on CD in January 2010 with a bonus DVD of the show. The band released their fifth album White Silence on May 24, 2011.
After tours in support of White Silence, Cave In entered an undeclared semi-hiatus state as all of the band members shifted focus on their other respective side-projects. Brodsky had moved to New York City and formed Mutoid Man with Ben Koller and bassist Nick Cageao, Conners and McGrath had formed Nomad Stones, and Scofield was a member of Old Man Gloom and his own band Zozobra. On December 7, 2014, they performed live for the first time in 3 years, opening for Doomriders' tenth anniversary show. They wouldn't begin formally writing new material until February 2018.
On March 28, 2018, Caleb Scofield was killed in a car accident in Bedford, New Hampshire, on his way home from jamming with Cave In in their Boston rehearsal space. The band then put the new album on hold in favor of touring in honor of him, his wife, and their two children. Major memorial performances included a Boston show with Converge, a Los Angeles show with a one-off reunion of Isis, and an acoustic performance with Brodsky and McGrath at that year's Jacob Bannon-curated Roadburn Festival. This set was recorded and released as Live at Roadburn 2018: Tribute to Caleb Scofield.
On January 2, 2019, Cave In announced plans to release their first studio album in eight years. This album was released as Final Transmission on June 7, 2019 through Hydra Head Records. Mixed by Andrew Schneider, mastered by James Plotkin, and with artwork by Aaron Turner, it consists of practice-space demos featuring Scofield on every song. Hydra Head has been mostly inactive since 2012 but, as the band's main home for the majority of its career, they worked together to release this album. Half of the proceeds will be given to his wife and children.
Brain Candle
Cave In Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
pouring like the rain
sweeter than any other pain
I'd even dare name
I kinda sorta need a wind to blow me out
and to control the flame
I kinda sorta need a fuse
to light my brain candle- oh yeah
sugared like the stain, sugared like the stain
keeping her a tasty
flavored flowing vein
don't try
I will do it all for you
never ask me
'how's your brain?'
when I'm down
dying here of thirst
for one dose
of my own
medicine, hey...heeey...ey
I couldn't feel it
how could this be your flame?
The lyrics of Cave In's song "Brain Candle" are highly metaphorical and therefore open to interpretation. There is an emphasis on the pain, sweetness and delicacy of the "candy cane brain", which could be a reference to the fragility of human thought patterns, likening them to a sugar structure that melts easily. The character singing the song acknowledges the need for an external force to both maintain and control their thoughts or emotions, likening them to a flickering flame. The singer also admits their dependence on this outside source, admitting they can't manage their own brain without it.
The words paint a picture of addiction, as the candy cane brain is sustained by a "flavored flowing vein" that the character depends on. They admit they will do anything to keep this addiction going and that their brain is in desperate need of it. They also share a fear of losing control completely without the "fuse" that keeps them together. The song ends with the singer questioning the origin of their flame, unable to reconcile the pain of addiction with the sweetness of the drug.
Line by Line Meaning
hey candy cane brain
Addressing the singer's own brain, comparing it to a candy cane
pouring like the rain
Expressing that thoughts and feelings are flowing at a rapid pace
sweeter than any other pain
Acknowledging that the pain caused by the singer's own thoughts and emotions is pleasurable in some way
I'd even dare name
The artist acknowledges that the pleasure gained is worth naming the pain.
I kinda sorta need a wind to blow me out
Describing the desire to be free from the intensity of their own thoughts and emotions.
and to control the flame
Not just quenching the fire within, but maintaining a level of control over their thoughts and emotions as well.
I kinda sorta need a fuse
Describing the desire to be motivated to do things and take action
to light my brain candle- oh yeah
Lighting a creative spark to help the artist take action or express themselves through their art.
sugared like the stain, sugared like the stain
Emphasizing that the artist's thoughts and emotions are highly pleasurable, in a similar way to sugar
keeping her a tasty
The sweetness of the thoughts and emotions makes them desirable to keep experiencing
flavored flowing vein
Describing how the singer connects with their creativity and emotions
don't try
Discouraging others from trying to understand what the artist is experiencing
I will do it all for you
The singer will keep diving deep and revealing more about what their emotions and creative processes feel like
never ask me 'how's your brain?'
Expressing that this question is too general and simplistic for them to answer truthfully
when I'm down
Emphasizes that the singer's thoughts and emotions can reach lower points, similar to feeling down.
dying here of thirst
The artist is desperate to reawaken their creativity and refresh their thoughts and emotions
for one dose
Describing that the artist needs just a small amount of inspiration or creativity to return to the flow.
of my own medicine, hey...heeey...ey
Describing the creative process and the singer's personal way of handling their emotions and connecting with their creativity
I couldn't feel it
Criticizing their own inability to connect with their emotions and creative process at this moment
how could this be your flame?
The artist is surprised that the thoughts and emotions they are experiencing in that moment aren't stronger, more intense or more pleasurable.
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.