The Appleseed Cast has been around a long time. Beginning with a name borrowed from a Sunny Day Real Estate song in 1997, the band has slowly developed their sound from mere imitation of their heroes into a variety of emo that was uniquely identifiable. Recently however, The Appleseed Cast has gradually left their unique brand of emo-rock behind for something more akin to Mogwai than Sunny Day Real Estate. Hints of this evolution can be heard in the slower, atmospheric songs from Two Conversation and Peregrine, but a full embrace of their post-rock influences hasn’t occurred until now. The Appleseed Cast’s growth as a band is clearly demonstrated through their latest album. On Sagarmatha, we find this new sound almost completely unrecognizable from that recorded on their debut, The End of the Ring Wars. Nearly tossing out vocals altogether, save a few minutes here and there, the six to eight minute post-rock jams of Sagarmatha contain a rising intensity that echoes the work of Explosions in the Sky.

While a good portion of the songs on this album reflect the techniques and traditions of the post-rock genre, the Appleseed Cast manages to sprinkle in its own bits of originality throughout. Opener “As the Little Things Go” defies typical expectations of post-rock and wastes no time getting into the heart of the music. A stable drum groove holds the song together as beautiful guitar tones rhythmically dance around it. The dynamic of the track changes near the middle when the constant beat of the drums disappear and the guitars are released from their routine to soar freely. In the closing minutes, you’ll notice a return to a style we are used to when it comes to The Appleseed Cast: crashing drums and distorted guitars. Although used sparingly throughout the rest of the album, the vocals that bring “As The Little Things Go” to a close are an emotional ingredient that results in an electrifying climax to a fantastic opener.
“A Bright Light” begins similarly to the album’s opener, quickly ramping up into a crescendo of majestic proportions. Again, a driving drum beat carries the song but the band cleverly utilizes the toms over the cymbals every couple of measures, creating an intriguing beat. The only other resemblances to “As The Little Things Go” are the length of the song and the familiar looseness of the guitars during the long outro. Much of the track echoes the band’s earlier work through the recognizable vocals and loud choruses.

Despite the prominence of their new post-rock sound on Sagarmatha, the highlight of the album harkens back to The Appleseed Cast’s roots in “The Summer Before”. An ethereal vocal melody accompanies beautifully structured guitar and a tom based drum groove. Beginning slowly with a simple drum beat, layer after layer of guitar is added until the track climaxes in the final seconds with crashing symbols and wailing guitars. It is perhaps the perfect melding of the band’s old, more emo-based sound with their new-found penchant for post-rock.

The electronic pulsation in the intro to “Like a Locus (Shake Hands with the Dead)” leads into a four minute instrumental section that sounds different than anything we’ve heard from this band before. Screeching guitars in the background accompany the rhythmic bass pulse and electric drums that sound more like Holy Fuck than the Appleseed Cast.

Although beginning as an emo band criticized for copying the sounds of emo legends Sunny Day Real Estate, the Appleseed Cast has developed their sound over the years from imitation to combination, fusing their original sound with a healthy dose of post-rock. Although the influence of certain post-rock bands are surely present on Sagarmatha, the Appleseed Cast take their decade of emo-rock experience and wrap these influences around it, creating a superb batch of songs that marks a highlight of their career.

Track List

1. As the Little Things Go (8:15)
2. A Bright Light (7:05)
3. The Road West (8:08)
4. The Summer Before (3:09)
5. One Reminder, An Empty Room (1:49)
6. Raise the Sails (6:27)
7. Like a Locust (Shake Hands With the Dead) (4:02)
8. South Facing Col (6:27)
9. An Army of Fireflies (4:28)