Together, they wanted to pay homage to their many influence ranging from Tool to The Gathering, and thus, Menagerie was born. With all the ingredients in place to make a record, they went straight to Goatland Studios and cut the tracks for what would become Cages.

Static sounds kick off slow, rhythmic guitar leading to a slow, heavy jam on the opening track "Desperate". Brooke’s voice steps in a moment later, deep pitched and positively soothing as guitars wail in the background. This song’s foundation is a laid-back yet intense groove. Not your typical high-energy opener to an album, but grabs your attention nonetheless. "Will you look at me?" Brooke pleads in her smooth tone. Her voice becomes more heartfelt towards the middle and a small guitar solo follows. The song becomes slightly faster towards the end, then some nice, bouncy basslines, and the song’s end.

Track two, "Princess", starts with mid-tempo guitars coupled with Brooke’s enchanting vocals, as she tells a tale of a princess who would become queen. Her double vocals echo through the chorus as she continues to the second verse. "I sold my soul for something better…I let you take it all away", Brooke regretfully sings to us. Intense guitars joined with dreamy keyboards take us through this haunting piece. Brooke’s voice varies from soft to assertive, then to mournful vocalizations as the song closes.

Gorgeous guitar work and cadenced drumming lead the way on song three, "Lullaby". Then Brooke’s voice, and a heavier band jam. This song floats its way through beautifully, tied with heavy guitars and Brooke’s plaintive vocals, "please help me". This is my favorite track so far. The same lovely guitar work takes the song to its end.

Dark, churning guitars kick off the next track, "Colder". "Bow down to the fallen angel", Brooke sings in one of the verses. Her voice is emotional in the chorus. Some whispering layered beneath her vocals on the second verse. The song changes pace to more piano-driven work in the bridge. The same crunchy guitars take the song out.

Track five, "Still", is a hauntingly beautiful ballad. Brooke’s voice is gentle yet tortures as she sings, "there is no comfort here", while mournful acoustic guitars accompany her. The band joins in, but they play mellow. Even the guitar solo, while heartfelt, still remains true to the gentle vibe of the song. Atmospheric keyboard work with some other strange sounds interspersed in lead the song out into a fade.

The title track, "Cages", begins with some industrial-type keyboard work, moody guitars, and soft vocals from Brooke. The band comes in shortly after with heavy guitars and more of Brooke’s emotional singing. Her voice is pained as she sings, "if I could sleep, I’d regret my dreams". A nice instrumental break, then Brooke’s soft vocalizations float in, making way back to the chorus. The keyboard work on this track reminds me a lot of Macbeth. The song ends shortly after.

Track seven, "Again", is a heavier track, with wailing guitars and experimental keyboard work bringing us to Brooke’s voice. While this is a heavier track, it doesn’t stray far from mid-tempo. Some "Brooke-bot" vocals thrown in about 2 minutes into the song. The same gritty guitar work leads to an instrumental jam and ultimately the song’s end.

Another of the heavier songs, the mood of "Tragedy" is befitting of its dark title. Brooke’s voice is velvet-soft and poignant. This song definitely has a more gothic feel to it, while still maintaining its rock edge. Some faint operatic-sounding vocals within the chorus. The guitar solo is blistering and keeps with the gloomy feel of the song. "We are all alone", Brooke chants several times before the song comes to a close.

The dreamy, atmospheric ambiance continues on track nine, "Forget", but this song is not as heavy. Kevin Kish’s industrial keyboard work leads us to Brooke’s voice, as the guitars crunch their way through. "When I was weak, you made me believe", Brooke sings sorrowfully. Her higher vocals are layered in the chorus. The guitars become more churning as Brooke begins some gorgeous vocalization, taking us to ethereal keyboard work that ends the track.

Menacing guitars kick off the tenth song, "Underneath", and then Brooke provides some nice vocals. She continues to sing as the bands stops for a moment, then back again. The keyboard work is gentle and distinctive, paired with exquisite acoustic guitars. Brooke’s higher vocals come in a bit later, and her vocals of "underneath the sky" end the song.

An almost upbeat track, "Reaching" makes you wonder if you’re still listening to the same CD! Brooke’s bewitching voice appears to assure us that we are. I see this song being a great "headbanging" moment at their live shows. It’s very up-tempo and the chorus is catchy. Some rhythmic drumming backs up the guitars and back to the band jam. Some slight "Brooke-bot" vocals. "I try", Brooke sings several times, the band ends, but her vocals stay on, fading away until the entire song ends.

"Closed" is an appropriate name for the final track of the album. This begins with stunning piano work and Brooke’s tender, barely-audible vocals. The combination of these two simple ingredients lay down the foundation for this beautiful ballad. Some light guitars come in about the 2 ½-minute mark, building to a crescendo where the band gently joins in, Brooke’s vocalizations accompanying them. Her voice becomes stronger as the band plays, and eventually retreats back into the initial mood of the song, ending at it began. A fantastic closing track.

Overall opinion: Menagerie is a rare gem to be found in the American femme-metal scene. They are definitely an entity of their own. But, if comparisons to other bands must be drawn, if you are a fan of early Lacuna Coil and Flowing Tears, then Menagerie is a band worth listening to. Brooke’s voice has that same deep, warm tone as Helen Vogt, and knows how to deliver the goods emotionally like Cristina Scabbia. She has that certain tone to her voice that can be absolutely heart-wrenching on tunes like "Still", "Forget", or "Closed". Or she can be moody on songs like "Desperate" or "Colder". The band has a slow yet heavy groove, sprinkled with just enough ethereal ambiance. For a debut, this is a well-rounded album that hearkens good things to come. Like any band just beginning, their influences can be heard, but they do a great job already of providing their own spin on things. Their music may not want to make you get up and mosh; it is more like a warm bath: soothing and relaxing. But that’s not to say that their music has no balls! Experimental tracks like "Reaching", and guitar-driven tunes like "Again" and "Lullaby" are proof enough of this. If you are looking for something a little outside of the run-of-the-mill bombastic/operatic femme-metal band and want something with more of a straight-up rock edge, then Menagerie just may be the band for you.

8 / 10

For more info, check out the band’s website:  www.menagerieband.com