The Cast Before the Break
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The Cast Before the Break

Albany, New York, United States | INDIE

Albany, New York, United States | INDIE
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"The Cast Before the Break : As Your Shoulders Turn On You"

The Libertines, Nirvana and Thursday are just three of the bands who despite their individual excellence give rise to nothing but trash flavoured trash in their wake.

Whereas we have the first two to thank for Arctic Monkeys, The Ordinary Boys and Nickelback, Thursday gave us wave after wave of pretenders to the throne who seem engaged in competition to see who can use the clean/sing - distorted/scream dynamic to its most ridiculous. Thankfully, New York's The Cast Before The Break are here to put a lid on all these shenanigans.

While they touch several similar bases to the aforementioned New Jersey post-hardcore act, TCBTB have more in common with the post-rock genre. Every track on "As Your Shoulders Turn On You" seems designed to work just as easily in instrumental form, and yet the lyrics are no afterthought. Their Palahniuk-esque ambivalence of hope and despair flow throughout every single syllable uttered. If vocals are not necessary or integral to the concept of the album, they are simply not used. Even if it results in asymmetrical song structures (such as on opening track "Onward Love")

Indeed, a lot of the album appears oddly structured upon first glance. With the one-two punch of the previously mentioned "Onward Love" and follow-up "From the Earth, At a Crossroad" it seems as though the album has peaked too early. But as is the sign with all great albums, as further listens are afforded, moments and songs that priorly passed by unnoticed become the ones you await eagerly, clearly shifting the highlights to the final act.

"From the Earth, At a Crossroad" is perhaps the most immediate. Commencing with a horseback ride to the scene of a 'pistols at dawn' old west duel, things are quickly launched to the present with unlikely yet permanently infectious groove-laden guitar riff which introduces a vocal call-to-feet of "How we dance! How we sing!". Not content with this change of pace, the boys give us one of the most breathtaking bridge sections known to mankind which sees the lone flouting of their screaming amnesty. Their restraint throughout the rest of the album makes this moment infinitely more special and capable of penetrating through to even the emotional core of a stone.

Surprisingly, for a band with the budget the size of their credit limit, no stop is left unpulled on this album. Pianos, violins and experimental electronica are inextricably fused to it's spine. Drums, scattered across the horizontal axis of sound, add immensely to the sense of paranoia and claustrophobia which permeates their sound. The central concept of the comatose man haunted by the opposing pull of revenge and love is made all the more resonant and impactive by these flourishes.

By the time the spine-tingling instrumental barrage of "Cerca Trova" (He who seeks, finds) gives way to the lamenting epilogue, it'll be difficult to pick one highlight from the crowd. We were well aware though, that we had just witnessed one of the most impressive and refreshing alternative rock albums since "Full Collapse" and "Relationship of Command".
- Strangeglue


"The Cast Before the Break - "As Your Shoulders Turn On You" Review"

The Cast Before The Break – As Your Shoulders Turn On You

1. Onward Love
2. From The Earth At A Crossroad
3. Agnosia
4. Understanding The Universe
5. Cerca Trova
6. Relying On A Respirator

“I’m terrified of who I am inside. I’m a broken matchstick man, be my conduit.”

What if Thursday and Moving Mountains had a baby? The Cast Before The Break is the exact and only answer to that question. Released in March, I actually just discovered the band and their EP As Your Shoulders Turn On You after scouring through Absolutepunk.net’s “Absolute 100? feature. So why am I even reviewing it, you ask?

Well, because this album is special. This is that rare album that comes out once a year – maybe. As Your Shoulders Turn On You is this years Pneuma.

The album starts with “Onward, Love,” a six minute mostly instrumental track that sets the tone for the rest of the album – moody, atmospheric, but yet carrying an overarching epic feel to each movement in the song. Lyrically explaining that we are our own instruments to destruction, the song leads into “From The Earth, At A Crossroad,” arguably the most accessible song on the album. A pacing beat around a floor-tom and snare behind a simple bass line carries a ridiculous amount of intensity up to each chorus, then back to the same beat up until the ending, which brings the ceiling of the song down on you with crashing guitars and vocals demanding that “If Jesus taught you everything, then nothing is what you’ve learned.” But, the song is actually about a car accident and everything that surrounds it. I know, tons of songs about accidents, right? Here’s what I kept from you: this album is about the narrators last half hour of life as it is played out through the EP. Self discovery, loneliness, and revenge are all explored in many different ways, from the mostly acoustic “Relying On A Respirator” to the beautiful “Understanding The Universe.”

So what makes this album so special besides that it is a genius idea for a concept album? Well, for starters, Geoff Rickley is pretty much fronting this band. TJ Foster, the vocalist, nails his Geoff impression throughout the album. I am not kidding when I say that I imagine Geoff singing some of these songs when I am listening. From the strained vocals to the unmeasurable passion, the vocals really shine throughout the EP.

However, there is no better way to say it: this album is strong because the songs are just really well written. Every song is epic. Every song goes from tons of instruments to just a basic piano and percussion arrangement, and yet, nothing feels left behind. The energy is retained. The EP carries absolutely no filler within itself, and everything that happens in each song is there for a reason. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels misplaced. The flow of the sounds is quite simply breathtaking. This is an EP that needs to be listened from the beginning to the end, not from the middle.

“As Your Shoulders Turn On You” will be a contender for one of the top albums of 2008 and may possibly take the crown. There simply is no better way to say it. Whether its the hard hitting ending of “Cerca Trova” or the trick ending to “Understanding The Universe,” The Cast Before The Break keeps raising the bar song after song during your first listen. Very few albums have left me so impressed on the first listen – to name a few, Vheissu, Pneuma, and Transatlanticism were albums that left me with similar impressions. Big things are going to happen to this band. Just wait and watch.

Rating: 9.4/10

RIYL: Moving Mountains, Thursday, Moving Mountains, Thursday, Moving Mountains, Thursday

- The Music Scene Today


"Review of Still by The Cast Before the Break"

Well the Cast had been working hard on new material for a follow up to As Your Shoulders Turn On You and have just released a full length record entitled Still. After the limitless promise and potential that As Your Shoulders Turn On You demonstrated, and a couple lineup changes the band has really found their forte. The group has developed into a more mature band, creatively, professionally, and personally.

I watched the songwriting for the new record go back and forth for months, and while the first few demos written shortly after the EP were closer to the style of the EP, every new idea was getting better and bigger. It's rare for a band to progress so quickly, and do it with dignity, but The Cast Before The Break are exceptional.

In its entirety the album is definitely more genre crossing than the previous EP. Still is more ambient, has more instrumentation, more power, more mystery, more everything than their previous EP. That's saying a lot considering the outstanding reviews and response to As Your Shoulders Turn On You, an album that could only be topped by its own creators.

Still opens with the track "Mira", a short instrumental piece that calmly opens the album and sets up the theme as somewhat of a motif (more as a adjective than a musical term), as well as creating a spot for the following song "Sleep". "Sleep" begins with the tension building anticipation of light feedback behind the melodic guitar lines and tasteful drums, held together by TJ Foster's incredible lyrics and vocals. Finally the chorus kicks in fulfilling all your expectations and really making a connection with the listener.

The album only gets better from here, and I strongly urge you to find out for yourself. With such a radical evolution of music I can't very well express the beauty of the album without playing it. But I will continue.

"The Hill" is the single format song of the album, a great crescendo with a catchy melody and fantastic lyrics, as always, this song is definitely one of the highlights of the album. Followed by "Head On A String", light a peaceful guitar tones carry the line "this is the wind that carries you" which will echo in your head for days. One the more remarkable capabilities of this band is how they take such perfect clean tones and then explode into an engaging powerful section. That section on this song may be your favorite part of the album.

Something to take note of is definitely the production on this album. Although As Your Shoulders Turn On You was a great record, and the production was adequate, you can really see things highlighted and enhanced on this album. The album was produced by Mike Lapierre (Brand New, Death Cab For Cutie) and the difference shows. Choosing a producer is almost like choosing another band member, but I think they were a good fit for each other.

The next track is an instrumental piece called "To Believe in Something". With a nice major key, this song, along with most of the album, just feels uplifting and inspiring. It is followed by "Culling", a great song bringing vocals back into the mix. Starts slow and soft with a mysterious mood, and eventually erupts into a wall of emotion and sound eventually leading into an instrumental fraction reminiscent of This Will Destroy You.

"A Serious of Rooms" is the next track, and by far the most individual. A slow and eerie progression, with light drums, volume swells, and heart wrenching vocals, this song really hits you. At one point with the nonsense syllables "da da da da da da" the melody and angelic vocal tone is haunting. The song digresses into madness as words are screamed and yelled like a man slowly slipping into insanity, only to become more insane with the continually slow instrumentation. We'll all be devils soon.

The following track is one I had the pleasure of hearing grow from its demo stages into what it is now, "Perspectives". This is one of the songs that the band first wrote after their debut EP was released. Although major changes have been made to it, and it has become almost a hybrid of itself and other ideas, I'm glad to see it made it the cut. I think this may have been one of the first examples of their new writing style. The verses and first choruses remained, but the original pop rock section has been replaced with a much more emotionally strident creative section. I always like to see a songwriter bringing his songs to the table and the band as a whole turning them into something brilliant that they all have had input in, and I feel this has been done well here.

Only two songs left now, and you wonder if they have saved the best for last, even after the onslaught of great material. "Canyons" I think remains my favorite track on the album. Bassist Lars Ewell contributing on vocals in this song with a tremendous screaming part, which is the perfect pair to the intensity of the song, and live... Wow. If you listen to no other song on the album, listen to "Canyons".

The album closer is another instrumental piece entitled "A Breath of Fresh Air". An obvious title for the track, yes, but there's really no better way to describe it. I am loving the use of the E-Bow, guitarist Jordan Stewart clearly got himself a new toy, and it fits perfectly with the styles of the album. The piece evokes hope in my mind, and leads us out with the thought of big things to come from the band.

I have to be honest and say that I didn't know what to think when I first heard the demos of the album, but the final product is more than I could have hoped for. It took a different perspective to fully appreciate it, but you have to keep in mind that a lot has changed since As Your Shoulders Turn On You. Whether they're shopping for a label or not is knowledge I don't have, but I will say that I'm incredibly impressed at how far they have come on their own.

- Showpopr


"The Cast Before the Break : Still"

As Garry Hoy will tell you, the second time can be a little tricky. You have the element of surprise the first time around, whereas on the second hit, the pressure can be too much and leave you spiralling towards disaster.

In fact, the only thing more ubiquitous than the 'sophomore slump' is the number of album reviews which start off by talking about it.

Your basis for comparison is more limited, that's the main issue we can highlight in considering second albums. Even in the case of Cobra Starship, you can say that their first album was - at the time - quite possibly the best album they've ever made. Come the second and the statically-charged question hangs overhead. Is it as good as the first album?

No, we state with complete ignorance of Hitchcockian suspense-building techniques. But then Still is a completely different album, with little but the voice of front-man T.J. Foster to link it to their full-band début As Your Shoulders Turn On You. Whereas the former seared through shifting tempos, dynamic genre hops and cathartic build-and-releases, this album paces a more thoughtful path. The pulse is slower, the structures less-sprawling, the songs are more considered and there's not a western showdown to be seen anywhere.

For the more indie-minded amongst us, such a seismic shift will come as a relief, for those looking for good post-hardcore which isn't fronted by a floppy-haired androgynous suburbanite, the change is a little disappointing. Thankfully though, the post-rock trappings are still very much in evidence. Opening salvo "Mira" gently constructs the mood with a fragile tinkling riff backed by bass slides before the next track seamlessly shifts in.

Confusingly, considering the softening of the musical edge, the scream-quotant has greatly increased. "A Series of Rooms", a tortoise slow plod through vast chasms of cascading glitter is suddenly interrupted by frenzied screams which sound like a amalgamation of (second-wave) 'screamo' and a Hitler speech. We mean just in terms of delivery there, we wouldn't want to offend the band by comparing them in personality to such a monstrous entity as a 'screamo' band.

Speaking of screams, memorise the phrase "Can I Scream? Yeah! We lack the motion to move to the new beat" for you may need it come the arrival of track nine, "Canyons". While the loss of the purposeful album narrative weighs heavy, Still is considerably more epic, with almost every track masterfully entwining elements of post-rock, indie, rock and small smatterings of post-hardcore. The Cast Before the Break have cemented their position as one of the best bands you can almost guarantee none of your friends will know, and we all know music snobbery is more fun than pushing a slinky down an upwards escalator.

Perhaps "The Hill" best showcases our favourite strength of the band. While we often consider them a spiritual contemporary of Moving Mountains, it's Foster's mastery of oddball vocal techniques - something which MM are somewhat lacking, such as the high upturned pique which masks a complete tonal transformation from the rest of the band.

A usual indicator of a great album's longevity is a lukewarm initial response which gradually climbs by around 2% with each listen. Consider this such an album.
- Strangeglue


"Cast Before the Break, The - "Still" Album Review"

The Cast Before the Break – Still
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: August 18, 2009

But if I had only known what was to come. As Your Shoulders Turn On You was good, albeit cheesy. Its mall-goth artwork and storyline about a man stuck between death and whatever else there is intrigued me to a point. I was interested for a time, but I knew the band would need something more. And more is what we have on Still, although the quality increase has only come after serious self-editing. There’s less aping of Moving Mountains, less vocals, and less cheese. The Cast Before the Break are no longer a have-to-be-in-the-mood band. Their understanding of delicate textures and intriguing crescendos has increased to meteoric levels.

The creative process is one of trial and error. Quantity begets quality. Bands need time to fool around and find their true calling. Sometimes this takes three albums, or more commonly, it never happens. TCBTB needed the album equivalent of a long afternoon to realize that they were containing themselves in a much-too-restrictive frame. Their sound needs room to cultivate. This windows-open aesthetic lends itself to songs like six-minute “Sleep” or ear-smashing “A Series of Rooms,” which create narratives similar to the dogged delicacy of the world’s best novelists. TJ Foster’s languid delivery has lost most of its angst, only to be replaced by a deeper, more intriguing weariness. That’s not to say that Still is carefree, but this album’s certainly more relatable. When he switches to falsetto on “Perspectives,” it is for effect and necessity. These words don’t just flow out; they must be forced. He painfully yearns: “If you left it up to me / I’d write my own eulogy.” Hard to hear? Sure. Easy to listen to? Of course.

The force of Shoulders hasn’t been completely forgotten, though. “Canyons” uses feedback and distortion as a landing pad for the disembodied screams of its second half. Ryan Crosby’s drums do some seriously inventive tempo changes while the band wails with the disgruntled passion of a lover scorned. It’s Mono meets Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and I’m not going to hell for saying that. Closer “A Breath of Fresh Air” is instrumental and emotionally jarring. To think that this band could make such progressions, both between albums and within Still, makes me overjoyed despite the album’s downtrodden themes. Bands don’t typically grow like this. As a friend said, “I like things that are stylistically similar, but still made to stand on their own.” Still and As Your Shoulders Turn On You are clearly born of the same creators, but the newest incarnation is more precise in its mood. The band has mined its strengths and also searched out new ones. It’s a self-aware progression, one that can’t move forward without peering behind. And clearly, it’s a formula for monumental success.


Recommended If You Like: Moving Mountains, The Appleseed Cast, corners, "Brand New loves static!", Exacto knives

- Absolutepunk.net


"As Your Shoulders Turn On You"

"While The Cast Before The Break touch several similar bases to the New Jersey post-hardcore act Thursday, TCBTB have more in common with the post-rock genre. Every track on 'As Your Shoulders Turn On You' seems designed to work just as easily in instrumental form, and yet the lyrics are no afterthought. Their Palahniuk-esque ambivalence of hope and despair flow throughout every single syllable uttered. If vocals are not necessary or integral to the concept of the album, they are simply not used. Even if it results in asymmetrical song structures (such as on opening track 'Onward Love') Indeed, a lot of the album appears oddly structured upon first glance. With the one-two punch of the previously mentioned 'Onward Love' and follow-up 'From the Earth, At a Crossroad' it seems as though the album has peaked too early. But as is the sign with all great albums, as further listens are afforded, moments and songs that priorly passed by unnoticed become the ones you await eagerly, clearly shifting the highlights to the final act. 'From the Earth, At a Crossroad' is perhaps the most immediate. Commencing with a horseback ride to the scene of a 'pistols at dawn' old west duel, things are quickly launched to the present with unlikely yet permanently infectious groove-laden guitar riff which introduces a vocal call-to-feet of 'How we dance! How we sing!'. Not content with this change of pace, the boys give us one of the most breathtaking bridge sections known to mankind which sees the lone flouting of their screaming amnesty. Their restraint throughout the rest of the album makes this moment infinitely more special and capable of penetrating through to even the emotional core of a stone. No stop is left unpulled on this album. Pianos, violins and experimental electronica are inextricably fused to it's spine. Drums, scattered across the horizontal axis of sound, add immensely to the sense of paranoia and claustrophobia which permeates their sound. The central concept of the comatose man haunted by the opposing pull of revenge and love is made all the more resonant and impactive by these flourishes. By the time the spine-tingling instrumental barrage of 'Cerca Trova' (He who seeks, finds) gives way to the lamenting epilogue, it'll be difficult to pick one highlight from the crowd. We were well aware though, that we had just witnessed one of the most impressive and refreshing alternative rock albums since Thursday's 'Full Collapse' and At The Drive-In's 'Relationship of Command'." - Strange Glue

"In just six tracks I felt a part of something bigger than me..." - Music Under Fire

"What if Thursday and Moving Mountains had a baby? The Cast Before The Break is the exact and only answer to that question. This album is special. This is that rare album that comes out once a year ­ maybe. As Your Shoulders Turn On You is this year's Pneuma (ref. Moving Mountains). The album starts with 'Onward, Love, ' a six minute mostly instrumental track that sets the tone for the rest of the album ­ moody, atmospheric, but yet carrying an overarching epic feel to each movement in the song. Lyrically explaining that we are our own instruments to destruction, the song leads into 'From The Earth, At A Crossroad, ' arguably the most accessible song on the album. A pacing beat around a floor-tom and snare behind a simple bass line carries a ridiculous amount of intensity up to each chorus. The song is actually about a car accident and everything that surrounds it. I know, tons of songs about accidents, right? Here's what I kept from you: this album is about the narrators last half hour of life as it is played out through the album. Self discovery, loneliness, and revenge are all explored in many different ways, from the mostly acoustic 'Relying On A Respirator ' to the beautiful 'Understanding The Universe. ' So what makes this album so special besides that it is a genius idea for a concept album? From the strained vocals to the unmeasurable passion, the vocals really shine throughout the album. However, there is no better way to say it: this album is strong because the songs are just really well written. Every song is epic. Every song goes from tons of instruments to just a basic piano and percussion arrangement, and yet, nothing feels left behind. The energy is retained. The album carries absolutely no filler within itself, and everything that happens in each song is there for a reason. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels misplaced. The flow of the sounds is quite simply breathtaking. This is an album that needs to be listened from the beginning to the end, not from the middle. 'As Your Shoulders Turn On You ' will be a contender for one of the top albums of 2008 and may possibly take the crown. There simply is no better way to say it. Whether its the hard hitting ending of 'Cerca Trova ' or the trick ending to 'Understanding The Universe, ' The Cast Before The Break keeps raising the bar song after song during your first listen. Very few albums have left me so impressed on the first listen ­ to name a few, Vheissu, Pneuma, and Transatlanticism were albums that left me with similar impressions. Big things are going to happen to this band. Just wait and watch. [9.4 / 10]" - Music Scene Today

"Outstanding. Beautiful instrumentation in the vein of Explosions in the Sky...truly something special." - Heist Party

"With As Your Shoulders Turn On You, I find myself at another hopeful beginning. I can't believe the great music deities in the sky have found me worthy to, yet again, hear a stunning band early in its lifespan. The Cast Before The Break are wise and talented. The band strums itself into fits of aggressive melody multiple times, and even when showcasing shimmering electronics and acoustic guitars during 'Relying On A Respirator' their urgency is apparent. The darkness of these songs breeds mystery. The mystery breeds questions. The questions breed a search for truth. The answer is joy in art. The answer is youthful vigor. As Your Shoulders Turn On You is the answer. We have long runtimes, off-key harmonizing (with occasional female assistance) and freeform structures made to sound precise. TJ Foster's voice steers the ship far away from earth and normalcy. We soar as they soar. 'Agnosia ' begins innocently enough with an acoustic guitar and a grooving bass. Foster even seems sweet; he nearly croons. But from the very first listen, the very first verse, it is easy to feel the monster rumbling beneath. Our first true glimpse at this veiled assault comes in 'Cerca Trova. ' Sneering, rumbling drum fills and Coheed and Cambria-esque metal-lite guitars come together in an impressive solo. My seemingly endless list of vague adjectives won't do this justice. A far-off gang chorus punctuates each tough-white-guy riff. 'Onward Love ' glows with creativity. I can't push you enough to fill your ears with it's post-rock for pop-rock fan leanings. It could be the key to a certain world oversaturated with pedestals and messenger bags. 'Understanding The Universe ' starts slow with piano and scratchy electronics. Foster delicately sings, 'Here we are / In the middle of a ceasefire / Surrounded by an atmosphere / Too weak to keep us warm. ' The imagery hints at so much, and as quick snare taps introduce spacey, pedaled riffs and a mock symphony, The Cast Before The Break seem to be teasing us further. Even with the looming climax so near, I was wholly unprepared for what was to come. The onslaught of sound was truly fulfilling. Zig-zagging repetitions of 'This is far too heavy for a child to take, ' and overpowering melody bring the album to a close. But, this record doesn't truly end until your large smile fades away. My cheeks are still killing me." - Abslute Punk - Deep Elm


"General Reviews for Still"

"The Cast Before the Break's understanding of delicate textures and intriguing crescendos has increased to meteoric levels. The creative process is one of trial and error. Quantity begets quality. Bands need time to fool around and find their true calling. Sometimes this takes three albums, or more commonly, it never happens. TCBTB needed the album equivalent of a long afternoon to realize that they were containing themselves in a much-too-restrictive frame. Their sound needs room to cultivate. This windows-open aesthetic lends itself to songs like six-minute 'Sleep' or ear-smashing 'A Series of Rooms,' which create narratives similar to the dogged delicacy of the world's best novelists. TJ Foster's delivery has reaplced most of its angst with a deeper, more intriguing weariness. That's not to say that Still is carefree, but this album's certainly more relatable. When he switches to falsetto on 'Perspectives,' it is for effect and necessity. These words don't just flow out; they must be forced. He painfully yearns: 'If you left it up to me / I'd write my own eulogy.' Hard to hear? Sure. Easy to listen to? Of course. The force of As Your Shoulders Turn On You hasn't been completely forgotten, though. 'Canyons' uses feedback and distortion as a landing pad for the disembodied screams of its second half. Ryan Crosby's drums do some seriously inventive tempo changes while the band wails with the disgruntled passion of a lover scorned. It's Mono meets Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and I'm not going to hell for saying that. Closer 'A Breath of Fresh Air' is instrumental and emotionally jarring. To think that this band could make such progressions, both between albums and within Still, makes me overjoyed despite the album's downtrodden themes. Bands don't typically grow like this. As a friend said, 'I like things that are stylistically similar, but still made to stand on their own.' Still and As Your Shoulders Turn On You are clearly born of the same creators, but the newest incarnation is more precise in its mood. The band has mined its strengths and also searched out new ones. It's a self-aware progression, one that can't move forward without peering behind. And clearly, it's a formula for monumental success." - Absolute Punk

"The Cast Before The Break had been working hard on new material for a follow up to As Your Shoulders Turn On You and have just released a full length record entitled Still. After the limitless promise and potential that As Your Shoulders Turn On You demonstrated, and a couple lineup changes the band has really found their forte. The group has developed into a more mature band, creatively, professionally and personally. The Cast Before The Break are exceptional. In its entirety the album is definitely more genre crossing than the previous EP. Still is more ambient, has more instrumentation, more power, more mystery, more everything than their previous EP. That's saying a lot considering the outstanding reviews and response to As Your Shoulders Turn On You, an album that could only be topped by its own creators. Something to take note of is definitely the production on this album. The album was produced by Mike Lapierre (Brand New, Death Cab For Cutie) and the difference shows. Choosing a producer is almost like choosing another band member, but I think they were a good fit for each other. 'Canyons' I think remains my favorite track on the album. Bassist Lars Ewell contributing on vocals in this song with a tremendous screaming part, which is the perfect pair to the intensity of the song, and live... Wow. If you listen to no other song on the album, listen to "Canyons". One the more remarkable capabilities of this band is how they take such perfect clean tones and then explode into an engaging powerful section. This album is more than I could have hoped for. It took a different perspective to fully appreciate it, but you have to keep in mind that a lot has changed since As Your Shoulders Turn On You. Whether they're shopping for a label or not is knowledge I don't have, but I will say that I'm incredibly impressed at how far they have come on their own." - ShowPopr

"Whereas the band's debut seared through shifting tempos, dynamic genre hops and cathartic build-and-releases, this album paces a more thoughtful path. The pulse is slower, the structures less-sprawling, the songs are more considered and there's not a western showdown to be seen anywhere. For the more indie-minded amongst us, such a seismic shift will come as a relief and the post-rock trappings are still very much in evidence. Opening salvo 'Mira' gently constructs the mood with a fragile tinkling riff backed by bass slides before the next track seamlessly shifts in. 'A Series of Rooms', a tortoise slow plod through vast chasms of cascading glitter is suddenly interrupted by frenzied screams which sound like a amalgamation of (second-wave) 'screamo' and a dictatorial speech. Speaking of screams, memorise the phrase 'Can I Scream? Yeah! We lack the motion to move to the new beat' for you may need it come the arrival of track nine, 'Canyons'. Still is considerably more epic than As Your Shoulders Turn On You, with almost every track masterfully entwining elements of post-rock, indie, rock and small smatterings of post-hardcore. The Cast Before the Break have cemented their position as one of the best bands you can almost guarantee none of your friends will know, and we all know music snobbery is more fun than pushing a slinky down an upwards escalator. Perhaps 'The Hill' best showcases our favourite strength of the band. While we often consider them a spiritual contemporary of Moving Mountains, it's TJ Foster's mastery of oddball vocal techniques - something which MM are somewhat lacking, such as the high upturned pique which masks a complete tonal transformation from the rest of the band." - Strange Glue

"Still is an amalgamation of everything good in music. Guitars, bass, drums, the end. It's that simple. It's winning...with tiger's blood. It is a battle-tested bayonet, bro. There are turtles dying...something for everyone, except trolls. When Culling hits your speakers, you feel like you've been dragged through the mouth of hell, which looks remarkably like my bedroom. Get ready to rock with a goddess. A Series of Rooms? More like a series of Winning Decisions. Hello! Canyons are large, like the rocks I smoked to enter this enlightened state of hypomania. Superman V? Wrong. I AM fucking Superman. They're gonna call it Sheenman V. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming..." - Charlie Sheen

"By this point, it should be expected that Deep Elm will never sign a poor band. The Cast Before The Break is a perfect fit for the label, as the label has already produced and developed quite a few bands of similar style, including The Appleseed Cast, Athletics, and Moving Mountains. The band's post-rock meets indie-rock meets post-hardcore style is perfectly represented on 'Head On A String', as they go from an Explosions In The Sky like intro to a vocal based verse, to a much heavier instrumental segment." - Muzik Dizcovery - Deep Elm


Discography

"Still" - LP
Released March 8th, 2011 on Deep Elm Records
1. Mira
2. Sleep
3. The Hill
4. Head on a String
5. To Believe in Something
6. Culling
7. A Series of Rooms
8. Perspectives
9. Canyons
10. A Breath of Fresh Air

Full Album Stream:
http://deepelmdigital.com/album/still

"As Your Shoulders Turn On You" - EP
Released February 2008, Re-released by Deep Elm Records
1. Onward, Love
2. From the Earth, at a Crossroad
3. Agnosia
4. Understanding the Universe
5. Cerca Trova
6. Relying on a Respirator

Full Album Stream:
http://deepelmdigital.com/album/as-your-shoulders-turn-on-you

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Picking right up where the The Cast Before the Break's highly-regarded EP, As Your Shoulders Turn On You, left off, STILL conjures up images frozen in time...those important still-frame moments forever locked in your mind that refuse to fade. Following a more structured, considered path that finds just as much comfort in the delicate moments of a song than the whirling, western showdowns of distortion, tempo shifts and and cathartic build-and-releases, the album shows layers of depth and marks a noteworthy progression for a band with much to say. Vocalist TJ Foster sings with fervent intensity, "And like the silence I surround you / I pull apart the seams / And separate the sound..." and you feel that exact, captivating rawness to each track. Produced by Mike Lapierre (Brand New, Death Cab For Cutie) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (Moving Mountains), Still strives for balance, exploring post-rock elements while at the same time finding the value of a powerful melody over distorted guitars, crossing genre lines and consistently tugging at your emotions. This is an album that lingers long after the final notes echo away.

"In just six tracks I felt a part of something bigger than me..." - Music Under Fire
"TCBTB create narratives similar to the dogged delicacy of the world's best novelists. A monumental success." - Absolute Punk
"Every track masterfully entwines elements of post-rock, indie, rock and smatterings of post-hardcore." - Strange Glue

"The idea behind the band name is pretty straightforward. Sometimes we become too careful in our own skin, especially when it comes to communicating with other people. Instead of being adventurous and branching out, we become comfortable and settle too quickly, like putting a cast on your arm before you ever broke it" says vocalist TJ Foster. "When it comes to our music, we never write a song just for the sake of writing a song. It's always an outpouring of emotion, which comes across no matter what instrument we play. All of us are inspired by the idea of trying to create something beautiful and powerful. We're inspired by the hope that the songs will find their way to someone who's affected by them. We went into recording Still with the notion that the album as a whole would be greater than its parts. Although thematically sometimes bleak, there is a definite feeling of hope beneath the surface, and we want people to find that for themselves. While there are very clear and also very subtle musical themes throughout, lyrically each song was an exercise in capturing a moment... a still," says Foster.

THE CAST BEFORE THE BREAK is TJ Foster (vocals, guitar), Jordan Stewart (guitar, vocals), Jeremy Carter (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Ryan Crosby (drums) and Lars Ewell (bass, vocals). Still was produced and mixed by Mike LaPierre (Brand New, Death Cab For Cutie, Dropkick Murphys) in Boston, MA at Tried and True Recording and mastered by Mike Kalajian (Moving Mountains) at the 30/30 Club Studio. A music video for "Sleep" is now available online in HD (http://youtube.com/deepelm). Cover artwork by Alicia Bock. Deep Elm Records is simultaneously releasing the band's incredibly well-received debut "As Your Shoulders Turn On You" which was originally released in March 2008. Ben Hemingway played drums, bass and keys on the EP, as well as produced it. The band was on a short hiatus but is now back in full force with the support of Deep Elm. The band resides in the forgotten capital of New York: Albany, home of a thriving underground music scene and the largest RCA dog in existence.

Touring History:
The Cast Before the Break has self-booked multiple tours throughout the East Coast of the US. The band has been booked multiple times in major markets like New York City and Philadelphia. The band has also appeared at The Bamboozle Festival, taking place at Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to a crowd of 50,000+ people.

Recommended For Fans of: Moving Mountains, Thursday, Explosions In The Sky, The Appleseed Cast

Genre(s): Post-Rock, Ambient Indie, Post-Hardcore

Contact TCBTB: tcbtbmusic@gmail.com