Banger of the Week: Carey – Once The Dust Settles

By Kenny Cotich on July 3, 2024

An old mentor of mine once gave me some advice, telling me "you'll know what to write when you have something to say." That is what impresses me most about the band Carey who deliver an impactful message with solid, sonic energy and drive. They know what they want to say and they say it without trepidation.

Hailing from Québec, Canada, Carey features Samuel, Miguel, Cédric, Johny, and Pascal, a quintet of veterans from the regional punk and hardcore scene. They formed the project in 2011 with a collective desire to explore beyond their musical boundaries. The final result came to be known as Carey, a conceptual band that writes about the history of asbestos mining in their area. Their name is even derived from the old "Carey Canadian Mine" off Route 112, south of Québec. Since their self-released album Desolation in 2013, their lyrics explore fictional families living in a fictional city impacted by the disastrous effects of mining on the environment.

I relate to this concept, having grown up close to Centralia, Pennsylvania, an old mining town, abandoned due to a fire that still burns the coal in mines beneath the city's structures. I've explored the abandoned city that remains in the heart of Pennsylvania, a harsh reminder of fleeting prosperity and a failed attempt to harvest from nature.

Carey's latest EP, entitled King Beaver Phase One was recorded and filmed in a cabin on the side of an abandoned asbestos mine in October of 2022. "Once The Dust Settles" kicks off the EP as ominous and distorted guitars build before drums introduce the steady beat. The repeated chorus, featuring the lyrics "The once father-to-son reality died with the mines" hits hard on the subject of citizens of mine towns being typically predetermined to work the mines. When the mine closes, there is no more work.

The outro features a strong drum and bass presence with atmospheric guitars. The guttural vocals pick the song back up with the lyrics "Work was gone as fast as it came. This city will never be the same. A legacy of misery and pain can be felt at the unemployment office's lane." Simple, pounding drums signal the end of the song, but the track bleeds into the next, as King Beaver Phase One is truly meant to be a singular experience.

However, if you dig "Once The Dust Settles," you won't mind listening to the remaining two tracks on the EP. Fans of bands like Knocked Loose and Title Fight should definitely add Carey to their playlists and check out their entire catalog. You will enjoy their melodic punk, hardcore vibe, with their vocals delivering important themes of the working class, masculinity, and environment impact.

Watch "Once The Dust Settles" as the first track of their live and expertly filmed performance/recording of the new album King Beaver Phase One below.

King Beaver Phase One was released on May 31, 2024 through People of Punk Rock Records. Check their Facebook for upcoming dates: https://www.facebook.com/minesandmen. Stream "Once The Dust Settles" in our Bangers of the Week Playlist here!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ICT6Czf11S3eXRvb1jK5l?si=f8ba2ea9705e4c67