Deftones did it with "White Pony", Silverchair with "Neon Ballroom". For Radiohead, it was "OK Computer": Sometimes, acts achieve their status as "exceptional artists" only when they dare to leave well-worn paths.

Break conventions. Cross borders. Broaden horizons. And thereby transcend their already extraordinary ouvre to a completely new level.

AN EARLY CASCADE have recorded a new album. One that breaks conventions, crosses borders, broadens horizons.

Titled "Versus", it will divide their fanbase, surprise them, challenge them, overwhelm some.

That is a risk the band is willing to take. AN EARLY CASCADE leave not a trace of doubt that this is exactly what they chose to become.

Songs like "Lightning Speed" are still reminiscent of their past output, but with the opening song "Everything Is Wrong Everything Is Ok" alone, AEC lets the listener know that this band decided to no longer follow the rules but MAKE them.

This is not a band "experimenting" - they obviously know very well what they are doing.

At times, "Versus" intangibly resembles Circa Survive, Fear Before, Fall of Troy, even Muse.

With these ingredients, and countless others, AN EARLY CASCADE make their own delicious thing, an energetic and eclectic album that somehow still manages to maintain focused and tight.

No doubt: This is going to be the benchmark for all future AN EARLY CASCADE albums. They could have had it much, much easier. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.