Cage To Rattle marks the end of a five year hiatus for US rockers Daughtry.

So where the heck have they been?

Frontman Chris Daughtry tells us he decided to spend more time at home after completion of 2013’s underwhelming Baptized – the polarizing fourth record which swapped their trademark hard rock sound for straight-up pop – although music critics argue that their time away was more likely influenced by that album’s unexpected commercial failure than anything else.

Either way, it’s good to have them back!

“We knew early on that we wanted to bring guitars back on this album, but we also wanted to blend some elements of the music we’re listening to right now. I think we’ve created an interesting mix of styles, there’s a groove to the record which we’ve never really had before and I’m sure our fans will enjoy it.”

– Chris Daughtry

Unfortunately for us, Daughtry continue to be hamstrung by many of the issues which dogged Baptized.

Long-time fans hoping for a return to the crunchy post-grunge of their emphatic debut album will be disappointed to hear that this is not it, and that their trademark sound has once again been expunged from the mix in favour of extensive layers of studio polish, and even the Bon Jovi-style radio rock which they progressed to on superb third effort Break The Spell is absent.

And while we can’t deny that the lyrical content of Cage To Rattle feels infinitely more mature than the cheesy boyband-like elements of Baptized, and Elvio Fernandes’ smooth synths do prove to be a nice addition to Daughtry’s sound by building an atmospheric landscape which surrounds each track, what we have here is still essentially just a modern pop record.

Grammy nominated producer Jacquire King was drafted in to helm this project.

That might sound like an odd appointment when we consider Daugtry’s hard rock past, but just a few songs into the record it becomes abundantly clear that, even after such a lengthy hiatus, they remain intent on making the jump from rock to pop.

And to their credit, there are several little moments scattered throughout this fifth LP where it really feels possible.

Standout number Stuff Of Legends is easily the best example of this. It’s a fine piece of work which manages to bottle everything that is great about Cage To Rattle, with a driving beat coourtesy of new drummer Brandon Maclin (original sticksman Robin Diaz chose not to return) paired with a simplistic, fuzz-infused riff and extra helpings of those soaring vocals which helped to make Chris Daughtry a household name on American Idol some ten years earlier.

Other highlights include the retro groove of Back In Time and the skyscraper chorus of Bad Habits, both of which we feel make a valid case for their decision to explore new musical directions.

“Another day another battle,
We all have a cage to rattle,
This just might be the death of me.”

Death Of Me

Cage To Rattle’s flaws really show when they slow things down, though.

This is in stark contrast to their previous records, right?

For this is usually where the talents of singer/songwriter Chris Daughtry would really shine through, but without the crunch to support his lyrics songs like As You Are and Just Found Heaven struggle to gain a real foothold before fizzling out.

Indeed it’s only when they flirt with the idea of picking up their guitars again on Gravity and thrilling album closer White Flag that they really start to catch fire. It’s at these precise moments when we are reminded of are/were as a straight-ahead rock band, putting even the best material on Cage To Rattle in the shade with a simple power chord.

“With one hand we’re reaching for the sky,
And one hand we’re holding on for life.”

White Flag

It will be interesting to see where Daughtry go from here.

There’s no doubt they can still write great songs – evidenced by the fact we’ve been humming a small handful of these choruses for about a week now! – but after five long years away we expected a little bit more from them.

Their insistence on pursuing a musical direction which many of their fans objected to several years ago may only drive their long-time listeners even further away from future projects, and while their stubborn pursuit of a mainstream pop audience is impressively ambitious, the commercial struggles of both this album and it’s predecessor indicates that their attempts have well and truly failed.

In summary:

It’s their moodies and most mature piece of work to date, but Cage To Rattle is heled back by the fact that it makes the same mistake as it’s predecessor in excluding the crunching guitars which made their few few albums so memorable.

Cage To Rattle receives 6/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★