REVIEW: Cage Fight - Exuvia

CAGE FIGHT are on the rise and continuing to climb the ladder of success. Born out of the Covid lockdown, musicians came together to create a bedroom project that has evolved into something rather special in the world of femme fronted metal. After recently finishing a tour supporting EMPLOYED TO SERVE, they are now releasing their sophomore album Exuvia. 

Using a word like 'exuvia' as a title reflects not only the meaning of the word; the outer shell that sheds by creatures giving way to a new stage of life, but it is also reflective of the way in which this album is showing an audience how CAGE FIGHT have grown and refined their sound into something that they can be proud of. 

The album opens with the hypnotic opening song Confined that leaves vocalist Rachel Aspe screaming “I can’t breathe” until it explodes into Oxygen, a fast paced song that allows Aspe to showcase her precise and perfected growls and screams and also show variety with her vocal range through singing too. The album starts with a bang and continues with that theme through each song that has been carefully selected to be on this album. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk8FyjVGpSg

Throughout the album, you are shown that CAGE FIGHT are not afraid to experiment and showcase their variety of talents whilst also leaning into the old school hardcore and metal that they are known for. Guitarist James Monteith’s multi layered melodies that run alongside bassist Will Horsman and drummer Nick Plews rhythms, leave you with a gut punching soundtrack that lends perfectly to Aspe’s entrancing vocals. 

Single Un Bon Souvenir is a theatrical six minute masterpiece that is hard hitting and tightly crafted into one of the standout songs on the album. The lyrics “I’m the wolf among the sheep, don’t bite the hand that feeds” truly shows the thematic thread that runs through this record. Leaning on themes such as anxiety, assault, and grief, you can truly see how Aspe and the rest of the band are taking their own experiences and turning it into perfectly poignant metal. She has even collaborated with family in the form of her grandmother who has helped pen lyrics for the song Pig that feels like an anthem of sorts. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRCl9exrTtM

Pick Your Fighter is a standout track that features BENIGHTED’s vocalist Julian Truchan. Whilst the album doesn’t lean heavily on features and collaborations, this song is an ode to a French pop song yet melds perfectly into the eleven tracks and brings a fun yet altogether brutally heavy element to the record. Similarly, IHYG (I Hate Your Guts) feels like it’s stepped right out of a movie or video game soundtrack in the best way, proving that the band aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of genre. 

As the album moves through the tracks you can see a truly wonderful collaboration of song writing and orchestration. Swooping cascades of drums and guitars alongside guttural vocals makes this album nothing short of refined metal perfection. By the time the record reaches the final track Élégie you are met with an expansive crescendo of a song that leaves you in awe of not only the talent and craftsmanship, but also the knowledge that this is only their second album and they have so much more to come. 

Score: 8/10

Exuvia will be released on 1st May 2026 via Spinefarm.

Words: Laura Davies

Photos: Andy Ford