The Appleseed Cast are one of my favorite bands from Deep Elm's roster. Their song "Max" was one of the tracks that turned me on to emo-core a couple of years ago. Mare Vitalis is the follow-up to 1998's The End of the Ring Wars. It's an admirable CD. I enjoy its density, its raw power, the way it positively spurts out of my stereo speakers, gushing malaise. AC possess a gift for intensely communicative instrumentation. Textures shift and sound masses wax and wane in sympathy with the moodiness of their songs. In fact, songwriting is AC's other great strength, as Mare Vitalis' opener illustrates. "The Immortal Soul of Mundo Cani" is a misleading title. With a plodding, deliberate buildup and a sudden ending at the 2-minute mark, it seems to end just as it begins, leaving me with a feeling of a life cut short. The lyrics, sung with a touch of melancholy, consist entirely of "The moon is swimming to and fro, the moon is smiling on us below". The imagery, the ambiguity, the sudden ending -- all serve to enhance the brooding atmosphere of the track, and indeed of the CD as a whole. If the recent lack of subtlety and expression in mainstream music has left you yearning for more angst in 2000, have Appleseed Cast got a deal for you!