Dutch alternative rock label Seamiew (Mindstab, Gazzoleen, Dreadlock Pussy among others) go emo the alternative way (or loud alternative as they like to call it themselves), with Rapid Notion. A press release that blurts out names such as Far, Incubus, Tool, Sparta sure rattles my chain.

And rightfully so. There are more than enough connections to the aforementioned bands. The silences and sorrowfulness of Far, the glassy guitar tones of Sparta, the enigmatic vocals of Incubus, the subtlety of Tool, you’ll find it all on Catapult Incisions. And them some. Cause the band found a way to add a certain personality to their sound.

It’s probably the Dutch soil because A Day’s Work for instance, share Rapid Notion’s stubborn emo approach. Hats off to singer Rai by the way, who keeps the many musical ideas on this album on track with a convincing set of vocal chords. Impressive, to say the least.

Catapult Incisions will take a few spins to settle. Mostly due to the many guitar riffs and fills that either follow each other blindly or do exactly the opposite a second later, turning each song into a small adventure. Wrap it all up with a clear production and you’ve got yourself a winner. High lights: “Mirror”, “No Time” and “Far & Gone”.