The Beverly, Massachusetts-based band Caspian performed a stunning set last Thursday evening at the High Noon Saloon. Accompanied by the Atlanta, Ga., rock band opener O’brother, the show kicked off on-schedule to a modest, yet excited crowd.
O’brother was a complementary performer that offered a talented and precise opening set. Beginning with the track “Ascension,” the band introduced the show with a slower-paced track that filled the High Noon with atmosphere. An impressive array of guitar riffs and snare-heavy choruses made the majority of O’brother’s time on stage.
Rarely stopping to talk to the audience, the night was short of breaks and made for an exciting, though somewhat tiring, listening experience.
Caspian’s set was primarily built off their latest album Dust and Disquiet. Their fourth studio album has proved to be one of their most substantial works, as it embraces the ambitious quartet’s hybrid of metal and ambience. As far as live performances go, this was not one to miss. The diversity of rock that Caspian offers transforms their shows into something any music enthusiast would enjoy.
The post-rock quartet is a unique headliner, as it is absent of any vocalists. The band managed to captivate its audience throughout their hour-long set with an ambient sound that could drastically make shifts in pace and tone. The joy of watching a band like Caspian comes in its different atmosphere than most. You can’t help but to feel as if you are in a thunderstorm of drums during “Arcs of Command” in one moment, only to be transferred to a soft repeating crescendo during “Halls of Summer."
The lack of any vocalist may seem underwhelming, but Caspian quickly manages to prove that they do not need one with such an impressive arsenal of skill and talent at their disposal.
A performance like Caspian is kept interesting through embracing the rarity of their performance. In a time where production-heavy electronica is flooding the mainstream, a band like Caspian is a needed breath of fresh air.
The composition of their tracks is based off an opening whirlwind of loops and instantaneous urges to head bang that undergoes a metamorphosis into a soft guitar solo. The stark change from minute to minute is accomplished through the band's ability to transition and break apart each track while burying it with new rifts.
The calamity of drums concluded the show, with each member taking a drum for themselves. The shell-shocking volume of the spectacle ended the show on an enjoyably strong note and left the crowd with a fully fleshed experience that worth repeating.
