The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

Collection includes: The End of the Ring Wars (1998); Mare Vitalis (2000); Low Level Owl, Vol. 1 (2001); Low Level Owl, Vol. 2 (2001); Lost Songs (2002); Two Conversations (2003); Peregrine (2006); Sagarmatha (2009); Middle States EP (2011); Illumination Ritual (2013).

Lawrence, KS-based emo quartet Appleseed Cast were originally comprised of singer/guitarist Christopher Crisci, guitarist Aaron Pillar, bassist Jason Wickersheim, and drummer Louie Ruiz. Signing to Deep Elm, the group made its debut on the 1998 label sampler Records for the Working Class, releasing the full-length The End of the Ring Wars later that same year. In 1999 Appleseed Cast (now with new drummer Josh Baruth) released a new single, "Skatter Ik Ignito," as well as a split EP with labelmates Planes Mistaken for Stars and Race Car Riot; Mare Vitalis followed in early 2000, heavily showcasing Baruth's complicated beats and the band's overall dense, atmospheric sound. Despite the hints of a new direction, the album couldn't have prepared fans for the two Low Level Owl albums released in 2001. Complex, delicate, and highly experimental, these two records took a cue from Radiohead's Kid A and sent the band careening into space rock and electronica with only traces of emo poking through. The records weren't nearly as commercially accepted, but their overall bravery showed that the band was prepared to make stylistic leaps.

The next year, Lost Songs brought four unreleased tracks from 1999 and five new songs together onto one album. Overdubbing new elements over the older songs, Appleseed Cast blended the tense emo of their early work and the broad experimentation of their new material. The band returned in 2003 with Two Conversations (Tiger Style), which continued to explore atmospheric texture in the framework of traditional rock & roll. An extensive tour followed the LP's release. The band next went on a brief hiatus following Tiger Style's demise, but soon returned with renewed energy and a new label. Peregrine appeared in March 2006 on Militia Group before hitting the road with dates on both coasts. By this time, the band consisted of founding members Crisci and Pillar, along with bassist Marcus Young and drummer Nathan Richardson (ex-the Casket Lottery). Sagamartha arrived in 2009, and was followed up by some lineup changes as John Momberg joined the band while Young, who wanted to focus on school, left the band and was replaced by Nate Whitman. Later that year, the band signed on with Graveface Records, and in 2011 released their first recordings for the label, the EP Middle States. Yet more line up changes would ensue before the band released their next album, with Taylor Holenbeck coming on as guitarist and Nathan Wilder taking over on drums. With this lineup the group returned with sixth album Illumination Ritual in spring of 2013.

Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

Although the late '90s saw a surge in bands labeled emo, it seems that the Lawrence, KS, foursome Appleseed Cast somehow broke through the stereotypes and made a name for itself. Sure, the sound on the debut album The End of the Ring Wars may be similar to such flag-bearers of the movement as Mineral or Sunny Day Real Estate, but something that Appleseed Cast does is worthy of a closer listen. What Appleseed Cast does, the band does well. The group is capable of weaving a mournful story on this 11-song disc about a lost love and the quest to get her back; the vocals by singer Christopher Crisci may come off as similar to Sunny Day Real Estate's Jeremy Enigk, and there may be times when one may desire to write Appleseed Cast off, but that is when the drumming starts to become amazing, the stairstep melodies begin to plead their case, and the occasional saxophone solo appears. The tempo picks up on one track, slacks off the next, and returns to something tragic after that. The pattern continues to alter and change and, before the listener is aware, The End of the Ring Wars is finished – and what has just occurred is a conglomeration of all the things the emo style has become known for. While there is a proliferation of independent bands attempting to make their marks in an oversaturated market, Appleseed Cast has since challenged the style to come to a new level, and The End of the Ring Wars displays the foundation for that argument.

Kurt Morris, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

Like an anthem to the reasons there is even a genre called "emo," Mare Vitalis is a record of pure feeling for people who think a lot, heavy on flow, flowing on heavy. Flow from the equally dreamy and dreary sparseness of long, edgy buildups, emphasized by carefully articulated drumming and unassuming swirls of clean guitar, and erupting into melodic bursts of power and explanation. Christopher Crisci's straining, honest vocals come alive after heart-wrenching musical peaks and valleys symbolized through crescendo and decrescendo as well as masterful use of intensity and lull. The atmosphere is kept on constant edge, and the untraditional rhythmic creations of drummer Josh Baruth make Appleseed's cast signatory. Even more emphatically "head" music than their debut full-length, The End of the Ring Wars, this record illustrates the ability of adults to make music both nurtured and impressive while simultaneously capturing the zeitgeist of hardcore rebellion. Recorded by Ed Rose in the spacious Red House Recording Studio in Eudora, KS, the high-ceilings and big-rock sound notable to his production legacy cater well to this recording, allowing the band's depth and mass to breath and take up every available inch of space. The end result is a captured work of dark beauty, a challenge to fully grasp, but a great starting point in their developing catalog.

Nicholas Gordon, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

If one stands back from the mayhem of life around them and will honestly realize what has been done on volume one of Low Level Owl, they will be floored. Here is a band who has, for the most part, orchestrated a symphonic masterpiece and glides effortlessly from one track into another. Odd for the average indie rock fan? Perhaps. Unapproachable? Hardly. Ambience and environment are the keys here. Through a number of experiments and hard work, the band has made a piece that is truly larger than what many people may be able to appreciate. A few drawbacks of the album, however, are to be noted. While the drumming is nothing short of superb, much of the guitar work seems trivial and uncreative. It almost borders on the needlessly repetitive, which leads to another point: It seems as though many of these tracks are almost used as filler. Three minutes of drums played backward is interesting for about the first 30 seconds. After that, it's kind of pointless unless it's integrated into some sort of song. Therefore, out of the 14 tracks, one can see that quite a few of these might possibly be tossed, although the final piece, "View of a Burning City," is hypnotically hallucinating in its drone. Regardless of the few drawbacks, the more this is played, the more there is to find to enjoy. The setting and time put into such a work shows how the whole is easily a sum of its parts. This is definitely not an album to be picked apart song by song. In fact, it seems a shame that both volumes weren't released at the same time. While it might take a while for a listener to realize the full implications of what Appleseed Cast has done here, at the least it's no worse than Mare Vitalis, which was a quality album. At its best, Appleseed Cast might be America's closest answer to Radiohead.

Kurt Morris, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

The second installment of Appleseed Cast's Low Level Owl project is just as highly experimental – and surprisingly successful – as its companion. Like volume one, it is sequenced like one long track, its individual pieces woven together with samples, found sounds, and tape effects. Volume two contains more instrumental material than its predecessor, which adds to its symphonic qualities; at these moments, the band is reminiscent of Mogwai, building layers of billowing guitars and repetitive motifs to create a hypnotic effect. Other times, there's a druggy drone rock quality to volume two that recalls Spiritualized or My Bloody Valentine. Overall, the Low Level Owl project is ambitious, sprawling, and maybe long-winded, but is loaded with enough beautiful moments and adventurous recording ideas to make it remarkable.

Andy Hinds, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

The songs on Lost Songs were recorded by Appleseed Cast in 1998 at a time when the indie/emo band was in an uncertain place. They were in between drummers, and soon after these nine tracks were laid down they found a new drummer and decided to set aside the songs aside and start over. Four years later the group decided to finish these "lost" songs and laid down vocals and some overdubs in May of 2002. Fans of Appleseed Cast will be very happy that the band didn't leave the vault sealed, as these are some fine recordings. "E to W" starts the record off in epic fashion with a wide-screen sound full of ringing guitars and wailing vocals. The rest of the record is not as grand, but it is a step above most run-of-the-mill emo bands plying their trade these days. Dramatic, emotional, and sonically imaginative, Lost Songs is a very solid indie rock record. Other highlights include the near-instrumental "Take," a pretty ballad with some very understated piano and heavily reverbed vocals; the alternately storming and soothing "State N W/K"; and the experimental fuzz ballad "Beach Gray." The whole record has a slightly experimental feel, probably due to the upheaval within the band. It sounds like they are working toward some heavy changes. Casual fans of Appleseed Cast may find this disc less than essential; devotees will find it positively necessary. Fans of guitar-driven indie rock may want to check it out as well.

Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

Appleseed Cast's first full-length collection of new material since the stylistic shift of the Low Level Owl albums (and its first for the N.Y.C. indie Tiger Style) finds the Lawrence, KS-based quintet tightening the screws on its newfound experimentalism a little bit, and jettisoning whatever stocks of emo-ness were still bouncing around in the hold after its re-emergence as "America's Radiohead." While that tag is pretty ridiculous (why does America need its own Radiohead when the real Radiohead is doing just fine?), there is some similarity in the way Appleseed Cast lets its songs unfold slowly, cascade violently, or do both concurrently. Two Conversations actually aligns the group more with 21st century indie rockers like Grandaddy or the New Year – the entire album is full of those satisfying moments when a hesitant guitar line, meandering organ, and snatches of vocals suddenly unite and break through the clouds into a sweeping melody or crashing, drum-led crescendo. "Hello Dearest Love" begins Two Conversations with such a moment; "Fight Song," arriving halfway through, sets up its second half. Slowcore nods its head throughout the record, defining the loping, lilting pace of "How Life Can Turn" and "A Dream for Us." Christopher Crisci's vaguely psychedelic vocals fit well into the swirling wake of the synths, piano, and plinking guitars guiding "Hanging Marionette," which tempers its dizzier qualities with an upbeat tempo change and more conventional power chordage. "Innocent Vigilant Ordinary" becomes the only tangible link to Appleseed Cast's dormant emo stylings, but its plaintive lyrics ("I want you to know that I'll always love you/And always be your friend"), while fitting of that doe-eyed genre, are delivered in a way that brings to mind the Cure before it does some kingfisher of emo. Appleseed Cast made a sharp, ambitious turn with Low Level Owl work. The confident Two Conversations reveals that the stylistic road it's on now is where it's meant to be.

Johnny Loftus, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

The Appleseed Cast has a sound that you might have a hard time categorizing until you hear someone use the phrase "Midwest post-rock." Then it becomes obvious that that's exactly what they sound like, even if the term itself is really kind of baffling. You have to hear it to understand: The Appleseed Cast's sound is often noisy, but is never just noise; they experiment with weird and unusual production approaches, but you wouldn't call them avant-garde. Nestled within the sometimes dense clouds of guitar noise are genuinely attractive hooks, and their songs often contain puzzling but highly effective contradictions. Note, for example, "Here We Are (Family in the Hallways)," which is one of the album's finest tracks and sounds both chaotically hooky and energetically heartbroken. Nothing can really prepare you for the sonically bizarre "Mountain Halo," but then, the Robert Smith vocal inflections on "February" are every bit as surprising. The instrumental tracks are all very interesting, but with the exception of the excellent "An Orange and a Blue," none is as engaging as the songs, and the one that ends the program takes things out with more of a whimper than a bang. Recommended overall.

Rick Anderson, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

After 2006's Peregrine, the Appleseed Cast's rhythm section underwent several lineup changes, and since Sagarmatha's liner notes include members both old and new, it's safe to assume that the album was likely recorded at different periods along the way. Originally intended as an EP, it sounds something like an inversion of its more song-oriented predecessor: While Peregrine only contained several instrumental numbers, here the band switches emphasis, expanding on those instrumentals by crafting an entire album of slow-building, glacial post-rock. It's a shame to see them retreat from that melodically rich, hook-laden former terrain, where they so deftly balanced the best part of their emo roots with the new ambitions they had been cultivating over several albums, but the epic music of Sagarmatha nevertheless maintains a consistently engaging, moody atmosphere – dreamy, powerfully bleak, and drenched in reverb. Things get off to a weighty start with the first three tracks, all of which feature a similar interplay between evocatively subdued passages and colossally roaring summits, where buried vocals enter late into the fray, if at all, and the steadfast drumbeat is the ever-present guiding light. Some of the finest moments on Sagarmatha are admittedly the ones most reminiscent of Peregrine. The geographic yearning on "The Summer Before," a relatively concise song which forefronts the vocals a bit more, turns the word "Arizona" into a beautifully simple refrain, and it feeds quite agreeably into the sweet little acoustic track that follows. "South Col" exhibits real spirit too, displaying a positively cathartic sense of mystery – out of tune pianos and all. On Sagarmatha, the Appleseed Cast's music is distant, the few vocals indiscernible yet undeniably expressive, and the feeling of drifting malaise inescapable, which all adds up to an alluring, if at times overly heavy, development in the band's ever-changing trajectory.

Ben Peterson, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

On Middle States, the Appleseed Cast capture the uncertainty of the Midwest with a collection of songs that are always changing, subtly shifting like the seasons into more atmospheric territories. Delivering four songs in a little under 30 minutes, the album finds the band continuing to move in a more post-rock oriented direction with sprawling, reverb-drenched songs that allow the listener to simply drift along with them as they wander through the wide-open spaces of the album's namesake. While four songs in a half-hour may seem a bit long, the Appleseed Cast showcase a knack for getting to the point without a lot of fuss. On “End Frigate Constellation,” the opening track, the band kicks the album off with a bit of Fugazi-esque noodling before swinging the door wide open to reveal a spacy and more open sound that is constantly moving the song forward without allowing it to stand around gazing at its own navel. Even “Three Rivers,” the lengthy closing track, manages to keep things feeling like they’re moving along, despite its 14-minute run time. As an EP, Middle States is an interesting paradox, presenting a collection of songs that are simultaneously concise and exploratory, expanding their sound without meandering, and managing to do it all without feeling overly restrained.

Gregory Heaney, Allmusic.com

×

The Appleseed Cast - Albums Collection 1998-2013 (10CD)

Close

Kansas-based post-rock unit the Appleseed Cast grew from their earliest emo days in the late '90s to develop into a tightly wound machine of atmosphere and dynamics, while still holding on to hints of their punky emo roots. For many listeners the band's high-water mark would be its epic 2001 effort, Low Level Owl, a declarative shift from vague yearning and frailty to moody compositional rock that drew influence from pioneering electronic producers, Brit-pop, and Radiohead's most cerebral phases. Some years later and after countless lineup changes, the band returns with its seventh full-length, Illumination Ritual, a warm and well-rounded set of songs that reaches the heights of unfettered creativity achieved on Low Level Owl but also shows the type of metered restraint that speaks of a band entering its 14th year of existence. Long instrumental passages make up a good amount of most of the songs here, from the glowing post-rock intro of "Adriatic to Black Sea" to the Daydream Nation-styled stretches of listless guitar sprawl that close "Barrier Islands (Do We Remain)." Stereo-panned electronics color the spare palette of "Simple Forms" before the band launches into a washy amble of guitar interplay and precision drumming. Drummer Nathan Wilder is a strong point of Illumination Ritual, playing frantically enough to push the dynamics of the songs without ever getting into overbearing showiness. Even on the laid-back "Cathedral Rings," Wilder's complex mathy rhythms support the song without taking center stage, allowing for an airy, coasting vibe not unlike early Sea and Cake. Throughout Illumination Ritual, the band seems fully committed to its sounds, truly engaged and inspired even in the most reflective or seemingly removed moments. With one foot in the constantly building atmospherics and experimentation of groups like Explosions in the Sky and the other in the openhearted optimism of the emo scene that they grew out of, Appleseed Cast offer up some of their best work to date on Illumination Ritual. The ten songs, while journeying through moments of tension and uncertainty, always return to an overarching feeling that embodies the hopefulness and promise of an early spring.

Fred Thomas, Allmusic.com