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On their second time out, Appleseed Cast thankfully pull away from Sunny Day Real Estate comparisons and "cookie-cutter emo" criticisms that held down their first album. Mare Vitalis (Latin for "sea life") is about as good as emotional post-hardcore gets, with chiming distortion and crescendos that build for miles, technical drumming that could fill an album by itself, and vocals that sometimes sound like Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros) as an emo singer. The clean-tone guitar melody lines accent the rhythms superbly, moving from plaintive '90s indie rock minimalism to passionate Cure/U2-style moments. There's no lyric sheet, so expect to spend some time deciphering the content of the album if that's your thing. You won't be able to unravel the introspection and stories by casual listening. If you're sick of the nasality, treble, and drama of emo already, you'll want to shun Mare Vitalis. If you're still addicted or haven't joined the bandwagon yet, you can't get much better than this. Josh Spencer 3/15/2000
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