Review Summary: It's kind of like that time you listened to Indian Summer ten years after they broke up.
Kicking off the new year, I definitely thought I had discovered pretty much everything I was going to love in 2007. I knew I would pick up random album that I enjoyed, perhaps even enjoyed immensely, but I had heard so many killer records during the course of ‘07 I just thought there was little room for anything else to be that good. So, a few days after the new year when I got Cease Upon the Capitol’s latest extended work, aptly titled
Cease Upon the Capitol, I tried to resist the urge to immediately tag it as one of the best records I had heard in months, even amongst ‘07 titles.
Then again, I’m always a “sucker” for shitty 'skramz' bands that like to use crescendos and the sort.
Fortunately, Cease Upon the Capitol has gone way beyond that with this release. As mentioned in my soundoff, CUTC combine the modern emo sound that bands like Sinaloa and to an extent Ampere are playing with the slight post rock attitude that bands like In First Person, Pyramids, and A Day in Black in White (to a much greater extent) employ. So yeah, they sort of sound like City of Caterpillar or Envy, but are still much more apt to stay rooted in a more “traditional” emo sound.
That said, this band can both set the mood right for you, and then bring the mutha ***in’ ruckus when the time comes. The intro, while generally sparse and majestic sounding, forebodes what to come with a slightly menacing tone that transitions perfectly into the second track. The sound is fast, building and beautiful, and leads into the first fury of the album in the third track. The first four tracks all seamlessly flow together, and after the first appearance of vocals on the album (sounding very Envy-ish and powerful), we are brought to the motions conclusion, where the guitarists ability to craft multi-layered riffs and stunning guitar leads come to light.
Once track 6 comes along, you’ll notice a switch to more post-punk type beginnings that continue to use dynamic shifts to slowly build to even bigger heights. The final two tracks are definitely the cream of the crop, as the intricate guitar playing shines through with the passionate vocal performance also being present, and finally culminates in what seems like one final build up, and the last release is simply the album ending after a final, stunning crescendo.
While it doesn’t break new ground in the realms of the genre, Cease Upon the Capitol certainly do what they’re doing well. Featuring tight, concise songwriting (running at just under 22 minutes gives the album a focused feel) with beautiful guitar work and great vocal performances, the main point is that these guys don’t have to resort to blowing up after every build up, but nor do they have to suddenly drop out at every climax. They time their music very well, and certain other bands in the scene could definitely take note as to what Cease Upon the Capitol is doing. Despite some inner reservations and the fact I think that people not normally into the genre would enjoy this more than those who are, Cease Upon the Capitol have made a great effort and produced one of the most solid emo records of 2007.
This Message Edited On 01.14.08This Message Edited On 01.14.08
