Caspian – Waking Season
Review by William Howard
Suburban Beverly Massachusetts’s natives Caspian are a post rock powerhouse. The six-piece project, now nearly a decade old has been putting out incredible, expansive and gratifying post rock records since the early 2000’s. With a strong sense of rhythm and the heavy rooted metal scene that lives and dies so often on the North Shore, Caspian has developed a sound that both inspires and destroys the dreams of their local fans. Built around the incredible expansion and compression of textures and a never ending emotional journey, fans and peers alike constantly face the challenge of competing with the post rock powerhouse. Waking Season, the bands third and newest release is there best to date, a daring and bold expansion on previous work.
Releasing Waking Season on Triple Crown records, a label known for their investment in slightly obscure but incredible musicians, Caspian has created their greatest record to date. With an incredible and inspiring range of textures and an impeccable understanding of music theory, Caspian build from the self-titled introduction, Waking Season, the feeling of a dream, a beautiful and inspirational dream. Backed by the tempered, but well expected groove of drummer Joe Vickers, the six-piece Caspian know when to hit hard and when to allow their three guitarists to meld and paint the sonic dream independently. Incorporating more textures and experimenting more with their sound, Caspian still brings the hard hitting post rock that lives so deep in their roots, but expands beyond leaving the safety and comfort of the familiar and uncovering an incredible new sound.
As the record rides up and down from track to track, like the rolling of the hills on a long drive through the North Shore, it becomes readily apparent the care with which this record was written. Each beat, accent and note intentionally and purposefully placed, but not without an understanding of the overall feel. Impeccably balancing the need for feel and vibe as well interesting and odd constructions, Caspian allow their breadth of musical knowledge to guide their feelings, but never hinder its creation.
As the final track, “Fire Made Flesh” fades in with the chords of the previous hanging over accompanied by the sampled static and a slow building texture, rising with each second the fire begins to burn. As I shut my eyes and listen intently, I cannot help but begin to sway. The feeling of a beautifully destructive and hauntingly powerful fire fills my mind. As the nearly eight minute track builds, slowly but intentionally, like each individual log placed on a funeral pyre, Caspian ignite the flame, the flame of the dreamer.
Plagued by the difficulty of marketing and selling a post rock, instrumental project to the world, most of you have probably never heard of Caspian. However, as a suburban Massachusetts native and a fan of the band I can assure you Waking Season will not disappoint. Coming at a time where the world looks unsure, the loom of the end of the Mayan calendar overhead, another presidential election and a disheartened and uninspired youth, Waking Season brings back the joy in life, the inspired dreamer that lay deep inside us all. The best record of the year and arguably the decade, Waking Season is pure beauty in a time where beauty for the sake of beauty has been lost. This may be a single light in the dark. Listen, dream and fall in love with Caspian.
Overall Rating: 6/5
Recomended Tracks: “Gone in Bloom and Bough”, “Waking Season”, “High Lonesome”
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