Florida-based quintet Capstan have never to be a band to play by the rules, and their latest album is no exception. Formed in 2012, the band released a string of glittering EP’s before signing with Fearless Records who dropped their debut album Restless Heart, Keep Running in 2019. Fast forward five years and Capstan are about to drop their latest long player, The Mosaic, an intricately woven record that finds metallic riffs pieced together with hardcore aggression and the result is as explosive as such a combination suggests.
In a move that will prove indicative of The Mosaic as a whole, opening track ‘I Revolve’ begins in a rather understated manner with Anthony DeMario’s ethereal vocals floating atop an ominous ticking. It’s like a primed bomb about to explode and when it does, it’s with some force. There’s a manipulation of sonics on display that finds Capstan holding up a mirror to themselves with quiet sections highlighting the loud, each acting as foil to enhance. Just like stepping into a hall of mirrors, The Mosaic is a record that fractures sound in every direction, and that makes for an infinitely interesting listen. It is never knowing what Capstan with throw into the mix, or down which rabbit hole they’ll veer that renders this record such an enjoyable and interactive experience. This eclecticism has given the band a lot of freedom meaning that when they throw some scratching and nu-metal into ‘Undertow’ it makes perfect sense. Yet, it takes a certain skill to bring all these disparate elements into a cohesive whole, but Capstan prove themselves master alchemists and The Mosaic is an album that flows exceptionally well.
Pulling traces of post-hardcore, nu-metal and pop-punk into their orbit makes for an intriguing proposition, and when you dress it all up in a melodic sensibility you have an addictive affair (like crack-cocaine addictive) that will keep you returning for another fix. DeMario’s versatile vocals are a real selling point and takes on a different guise in each song, adopting a new persona for each track. But it would be unfair to single out any one member because the whole band prove themselves more than adept at change and they constantly shape shift over the course of 18 tumultuous tracks.
Change is good.
- The Mosaic is released via Fearless Records on 24th May 2024.
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Track List:
- i. Revolve
- Misery Scene
- Final Words
- Undertow
- An Open Letter
- Hailey
- Bloom
- Empire
- What You Want
- ii. Revise
- Dwell
- Arrows
- Compendium
- Bête Noire
- Moloch
- What Can I Say
- Heart To Heart
- iii. The Mosaic
