The Appleseed Cast are one of my favorite bands from Deep Elm's roster. Mare Vitalis is the follow-up to 1998's The End of the Ring Wars . I enjoy its density, its raw power, the way it positively spurts out of my stereo speakers, gushing malaise . AC possess a gift for intensely communicative instrumentation.
Textures shift and sound masses wax and wane in sympathy with the moodiness of their songs.
In fact, songwriting is AC's other great strength, as Mare Vitalis ' opener illustrates. With a plodding, deliberate buildup and a sudden ending at the 2-minute mark, it seems to end just as it begins, leaving me with a feeling of a life cut short. Content may not be reproduced without our express permission.