The Appleseed Cast – “Sagarmatha”

Rating: 9.5/10

The word “accessibility” and The Appleseed Cast have little place near one another beyond this, the introductory sentence. All things considered, the band’s seventh studio release, “Sagarmatha,” fits that sentiment.

The band’s first record, 1998’s “The End of the Ring Wars,” was a complex, fragmented piece that succumbed to the end of the era of emo. As the calendar pages flipped, so did the band’s lineup along with the genre it found itself a part of. By the time “Low Level Owl, Volumes 1 and 2” hit indie bistros in 2001, the Lawrence, Kan. natives had defined their Midwest-influenced post-rock sound.

Front man Christopher Crisci and Aaron Pillar, the band’s founders and two remaining “official” members, further delve into that atmosphere on “Sagarmatha,” which focuses almost exclusively on the music. Pushing the vocals aside has helped the group perfect its spaced-out soundscapes, which are anything but accessible the first time through.

With four of the nine tracks clocking in at least 6 1/2 minutes and three that are completely instrumental, fully “getting” this album can seem like a chore to less-experienced or casual listeners. Upon first take, “Sagarmatha” is that Magic Eye painting one must stare at for an inordinate amount of time before seeing the whole picture; it takes more than a once-through for all the subtleties to sink in. By the fifth or sixth listen at the very least, those nuances will reveal themselves and provide for a much more satisfying experience.

Any reservation that Appleseed has lost its “it” factor during a three-year hiatus is dismissed right off the bat with “As the Little Things Go,” an explosive eight-minute introduction that casts a bright light on the remaining songs. “Like A Locust (Shake Hands With The Dead)” is a bass-heavy segue, while “South Col” hauntingly channels fellow ambient rockers, Tangerine Dream.

Despite a steep learning curve, The Appleseed Cast has been able to nurture and mature its trademark post-rock sound best exemplified on its earlier, more approachable records.

“Sagarmatha” soars, from the opening notes to the final cut, offering zero filler in between.