Castevet

The Echo & The Light

Written by: PP on 26/12/2010 05:03:37

Castevet have been steadily rising from the underground to a formidable force within the math rock scene due to their inimitably original sound, that draws equal part from Bear Vs Shark's explosive post-hardcore and the progressive tendencies of the post-rock scene. The initial impression of their previous record "Summer Fences" wasn't all too great, but the more you listened to it, the more it grew on you. That's also the case with "The Echo & The Light", their sophomore album, which will take quite a few listens before it properly hits you.

Their brand of light, dreamy, floating (etc) math rock is contrasted well by a coarse, gravelly vocalist who should remind you of the dude in Bear Vs Shark given his rough bark. When you put one and one together, you get a result which is contains just as much explosive intensity as it does of ethereal beauty. You can tell that Castevet write songs out of passion, out of wanting to craft something unique and bewildering, which is also why their high pitch guitar melodies are so intricate and original. Think Damiera meets Small Brown Bike, and you're fairly close. Nuances of the original emo scene can also be heard within, though it's very clear all along that Castevet already own a signature sound that's unquestionably theirs. "Summer Fences" proved that much already, and "The Echo & The Light" only adds to that fact, which is also why Castevet are slowly developing into an underground cult act around their area.

The melodies are exceptionally strong in places, see "Narrow Hallways" or "Lautrec" for instances where punk meets post-rock in an instantly accessible, but yet oh-so-complex manner. The band avoids the usual pitfall of these sorts of bands by not wasting time on unnecessary lengthy post-rock buildups, but get straight to the point with the mathy guitar melodies, thus allowing for a much shorter song length and therefore distinguishing themselves from the niche. In a nutshell, something very special is cooking underneath the surface right here, right now, and it's only a matter of time before the talent behind Castevet will materialize in a masterpiece of an album, a classic we'll all look back at for reference in future reviews. For now, "The Echo & The Lights" is a solid album, and a must check out for anyone who enjoys their guitar melodies contrasted with some near-screams for good measure.

Download: Narrow Hallways, Lautrec
For the fans of: Damiera, Small Brown Bike, This Town Needs Guns, Bear Vs Shark
Listen: Myspace

Release date 17.08.2010
Tiny Engines

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.