Review Summary: A slightly-above-average split by two legendary emo bands.
Pageninetynine (pg. 99) and City of Caterpillar were two legendary emo/screamo bands of the late 90s and early 00s. This split was released after what many consider to be pg. 99’s best work, document 8, and before City of Caterpillar’s self-titled, their only full-length. At the time, they shared multiple members, most notably both vocalists. As a result, the two bands’ contributions sound very similar.
Now after that paragraph extolling the prodigious talent of both bands, you’d think that this split would be spectacular. Well, not quite. pg. 99’s contribution is the final two songs off of their aforementioned magnum opus, document 8. Yes, they are amazing songs, but if you already own document 8 the pg. 99 half of this record is essentially useless.
City of Caterpillar’s songs are unique to this record, quite thankfully, and are both great representations of City’s sound. The vocals are quite possibly the best part of this record, absolutely dripping with emotion. However, that isn’t to say that the instrumentation is bad. It is above average, and makes for an enjoyable listen.
This split is only truly recommended if you are attempting to collect all the documents, or if you want to hear some of City’s work prior to their full-length.
