Like France’s genre-bending Alcest, the U.K.’s one-man band Caïna blends elements of black metal with elements of post-rock and shoegaze, creating a style that is completely his own.  While Alcest’s music has an enveloping, dream-like quality, Caïna’s style is more deliberate and contemplative, with long melancholic acoustic passages giving way to sections of anguished ambient blackness.

Caïna’s lone member, .A., is quite forthcoming about his musical interests and influences.  He maintains a blog detailing his listening habits and musical history, although it now appears he prefers to post on the Caïna MySpace page, where you can check out his Top 20 albums of 2007, among other things.

Both of Caïna’s releases last year, the "Mourner" album and the "I, Mountain" 3" on God Is Myth, are now sold out.  Amazon.com still appears to have a few copies of "Mourner" in stock though, and you may be able to find some other Caïna releases over at Aquarius Records.

Caïna has quite a bit of new music planned for 2008.  A new full-length titled "Temporary Antennae" will be released in the fall on Profound Lore, and two splits, a 7" with Krieg and a 10" with Process of Guilt, are both slated for late Spring/early Fall.  Caïna’s MySpace page currently has a sample up from the "Temporary Antennae" album.