TERTIA

Second album of this US post-rock band started with very ambient sounds with some more piano-like incluses in between. Aerial and melancholic. But from the second song they show their real face - twin guitars heavy sound with some Fripp influence. Mid tempo music is filling all the air around you with almost metal sounds.

"Ghosts Of The Garden City " is full of loops and electronic sounds again. But guitars and drums are on the first plan. Melody is nice, but a bit standard, possibly you like it, but it sounds as you heard this song many times before. "Malacoda" contains guitars on the first plan and some dark atmosphere (remind me of grunge era). I think, it is characteristic to all album's music - being quite usual American post-rock band (what means for me twin guitars+bass+drums+ electronics team with accent on guitar sound and with high energetic, often on the border with post metal), I feel big influence of Radiohead-like music in their sound.

After 3-4 songs you don't wait for unexpected music from this album anymore. They play competent post-rock at the level of average post-rock band, but have same big problem with their music as their competitors have. Full instrumental music must be very different, very complex, very unusual, very concentrated or really very excellent just to attract listener during all long album. And it happens very rare, with best genre albums only.

There is not such case. Even if this work is really not bad if its genre frames.

I agree with snobb: full instrumental music must be very different, have great diversity and, yes, complexity (though melody is, IMHO, also important in order to 'hook' the listener). While CASPIAN does a fine--even great--job of creating classic post rock--with great production and performances, better than average melodies, and some interesting shifts in dynamics--the genre as a whole makes it rather difficult to make an entire album--expecially a long (more than 60 mins.) one--of intriguing, diverse, attention-grabbing songs. I rate CASPIAN's "Tertia" in the upper echelon of post rock/math rock albums I've heard--with MOGWAI, MONO, APPLESEED CAST RED SPAROWES, MASERATI, and THE MERCURY PROGRAM but not quite up there with my favorites: GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT's "All Is Violent, All Is Bright" or MY EDUCATION's "Sunrise" or " GIFTS FROM ENOLA's "Gifts from Enola" or COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE's " The Sirens Sound" or DATURAH's "Reveries." (ULVER's "Shadows of the Sun" I do not really consider a post rock/math rock album--I think it is mis-categorized.) Perhaps the 'EP' format is best for these post rock/math rock bands. Still, Caspian has put out a collection of very high quality if formatted songs--many with catchy melodies and twists.

My favorites are: "Ghost of the Garden City" and "Epochs in Dmaj"--5 stars; " La Ceurva," "Vienna," and "Sycamore"--4 stars.

The album over all is 3.5 stars: Good, but not essential for the general prog lover, Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection for fans of the Post Rock/Math Rock sub-genre.