Review #1: The Appleseed Cast - Peregrin (Militia)
Release Date: March, 21, 2006

The Appleseed Cast is back with their 7th full-length in 8 years ("The End of the Ring Wars" was released by Deep Elm in '98). Apleseed is best known for their two-volume release "Low Level Owl Vols. I & II" (2001), which sparked interest in their music across pop-culture. It was not bizarre to hear Appleseed Cast songs on MTV or Abercrombie ads. The band has become more obscure in the ensuing 4+years, though that may all change with March's release of "Peregrin." Peregrin has all the spit and sparkle of Low Level Owl, mixed with some of the rampaging energy the band displayed with 2000's "Mare Vitalis."

The danger and the beauty that has always existed with The Cast's work is how one song folds into the next. This is dangerous because it so easily becomes noise, and beautiful because it's so easy to get lost floating around in their ambiance. If you're looking for a record to sing along to, keep looking. However, if you are interested in losing yourself in some layered, beautifully complex sounds, this is the record. The Appleseed Cast is one of the few bands still capable of constructing an "album," rather than a collection of songs.

Longevity Rating: 3.5 UFOs out of 5.