The Appleseed Cast

Somebody’s trying to spread the rumor that Peregrine is a concept album. Although Chris Crisci’s lyrics are decent and sometimes memorable, Appleseed Cast records aren’t about words, which usually vanish into reverb like stars in fog. They’re about the interplay of fiercely melodic guitar riffs and intricate, relentless percussion—ably supplied here by Nathan Richardson, who, replacing drummer Josh Baruth, has big shoes to fill. Clanging cymbals fight soaring tremolo lines, this time imbued with a sense of paranoid urgency. Not that the band didn’t excel at driving instrumentals before, but there’s something sharper about these songs, which allow only temporary moments of space and clarity; not a one of them doesn’t climax in a beautiful and terrible frenzy of strumming and pounding.