The Appleseed Cast

Illumination Ritual

Written by: DR on 07/07/2013 10:27:59

From the early emo sound of their debut, "The End of Ring Wars", to the controlled post-rock of their more recent work, The Appleseed Cast's evolution over 15 years has seen them transform from a band aggressive and unashamedly willing to flaunt their youthful influences in to one of the most refined, consistent and unique guitar bands in America. The transformation from the early Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral worship to the band they became for their two-part masterpiece, "Low Level Owl", is that of musical legend, too. Within a year they were no longer too easily tied to their roots, but a band able to blend emo, post-rock, ambient and electronic influences to create a unique musical landscape entirely of their own.

No band has ever come close to sounding quite like The Appleseed Cast, despite the influence they had in the decade following, while the band themselves have continued to hone their sound. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that "Illumination Ritual", their first LP in four years, is just about the most The Appleseed Cast-sounding record they conceivably could have released. Comprised of typically phenomenal drumming, intricate instrumentation, sparkling guitar melodies, flowing ambient passages and Christopher Crisci's warm, affecting vocals, it sees the band comfortably exploring territory between post-rock and emo/indie which they have already conquered. Not that is a bad thing though, because it's a glowing testament as to why we fell in love with them in the first place.

The first half of the record is nothing but sheer excellence. The brilliant opening two tracks, "Adriatic to Black Sea" and "Great Lake Derelict", seamlessly combine their typically intricate song-structures, guitar noodling and Crisci's enchanting vocals with the rich textures, atmospheric breaks and capturing swells of their post-rock side. It's arguably their strongest opening one-two since "Low Level Owl". Continuing to include more of Crisci's vocals, "Cathedral Rings" is the most dynamic, energetic and aggressive song the band has penned in a long time, while the dream-like "30 Degrees 3am" is a lot mellower and wonderfully immersive in its ambient texturing.

Crisci's vocals seem bring the best out of the band as a whole, especially in the first half. They are noticeably less-present in the second half, and the second half is noticeably weaker than the first. Although "Barrier Islands (Do We Remain)" maintains the momentum with vocal refrains and the colliding, layered crescendo, thereafter the band focuses more on developing instrumental soundscapes that, although pretty, feel like the band are a little too keen to stay in their comfort zone. "North Star Ordination" and "Clearing Life", for instance, are technically impressive, but lack energy and, consequently, memorability. The title-track closer is peaceful, pleasant and relaxing in its decrescendo, but it's more likely to lull you to sleep rather than have you flipping the record back over.

Although it doesn't push their envelope as previous releases had, and despite the brilliance of the first half over-shadowing the second half, no fan of The Appleseed Cast could be disappointed with "Illumination Ritual". It combines everything we know and and love about them into a typically assured and accessible 45 minutes, from the urgency of their younger days to their more patient and refined work. It proves, if nothing else, that The Appleseed Cast continue to play in a genre - or a landscape - entirely on their own. Therefore, it's perhaps the most quintessential The Appleseed Cast LP yet.

Download: Adriatic to Black Sea, Great Lake Derelict, Cathedral Rings
For The Fans of: The Appleseed Cast
Listen: Facebook

Release Date 23.04.2013
Graveface Records

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