Cease Upon the Capitol flew under a few radars with their 2006 self-titled effort, an unbridled screamo album chock full of European influence by a Tennessee-based band.

Cease has garnered all sorts of comparisons to La Quiete and Raein, and it's totally warranted. Screamy, intense and fitful bursts litter Cease Upon the Capitol from start to finish, with plenty of quieter parts and inventive guitar tones to give the listener some space. While the slightly muffled production does seem to hurt the songs a bit, they're well-crafted and rather shifty for sometimes topping three minutes.

The major difference between Cease Upon the Capitol and their influences, however, might be their less striking dynamic in terms of tempo. Cease Upon the Capitol never quite play at blistering speeds when they're at their fastest, but that sense of restraint does them well -- see track 4, or even the perfectly slow 5 (none have actual titles). 6 might be my favorite with its sick sense of desperation, but then there's 8, which is about as epic as you can get for a sub-three-minute song.

If no one told you, it'd be hard to believe Cease Upon the Capitol have sprung up out of Nashville with such an obtuse and obscure sound, but they've certainly accomplished just that.

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