The word “epic” gets thrown around too much today, by myself just as much as by anyone else. A word once reserved for describing the poetry of Homer and Virgil now describes the music of countless bands, and usually the only credentials for the word are, first, that the song is long, and second, that the song has a major climax, regardless of its impact. Given these preresiquites, The Evpatoria Report knows nothing other than epic music. The shortest song on their noteworthy debut album Golevka was about eight and a half minutes, while the shortest song on their latest album Maar is just under eleven.  Maar proves, however, that not every long song should be described as epic. To the contrary of most post-rock attempts at more subtle music, however, their formula — if you can call it such a repetitive thing — works. 

What The Evpatoria Report do so well is quite simple — they make every moment interesting rather than just the loud parts, and while all four songs on this album have incredible musical direction, they do not rely on a one-climax structure. Each song has multiple sections that each grow and recede as necessary. In this sense, the inevitable comparison to Godspeed You! Black Emperor is actually accurate. Yet in sound, what Evpatoria create is much less heart-wrenching and intense than Godspeed, and this is what sets them apart from the “epic” nature of post rock. “Eighteen Robins Road” begins setting the atmosphere with spacey, reverberated guitar that begins eerily similar to the new pg.lost record, and yes, it grows into a crushing riff that pulls the listener in after such a long wait. Still, while the riff justifies the wait, everything still feels under control.

Maar has a remarkable sense of calm throughout its lengthy duration. Even more remarkable, however, is its ability to hold a listener's interest despite the calm. The album has enough variety that every section is distinct, from the grooves in “Dar Now” to the lush nature of the second half of “Robbins Road”, perhaps one of the most gorgeous blends of strings and guitar heard all year.  Each sound used on the album has just the right tone, just the right amount of delay or reverb, and throughout the album the band rarely uses sounds in the same way.  Most would expect “Acheron”, a nearly twenty minute track, to close off the album with power, but it rather tapers away by removing layers and ending rather abruptly, simply stopping the final guitar riff. No chord, no held note, nothing. Perhaps this has a point, but it really detracts from the finality of the album. Even a simple fade out would have made the ending and therefore the entire album much more effective.

Other than the strange ending, however, the album is almost entirely successful. The use of a vocal sample to set up the second section of “Mithridate” works perfectly, offering a change from the completely wordless music until then. “Dar Now” ends with a powerful ritardando, easily the most cathartic moment on the entire album. The entirety of Maar is a giant balancing act; it has just enough loud moments and quiet moments to make the album feel like it really was one large thought. The scope of the album certainly takes a few listens to understand, however. At first, every song feels like their own unconnected entity, but the way “Dar Now” seems to pick up the intensity from “Eighteen Robins Road” is all too perfect for coincidence. While the songs do not flow into each other directly, the overall contour of the album's intensity follows a logical pattern. 

In short, Maar truly has the makings of a fantastic album. Not only have The Evpatoria Report mastered their sound, but their structure offers a break from the typical nature of post-rock. Striking the perfect balance between calm and intense, every moment makes sense in context. The crescendos and decrescendos, the tempo changes, even the harmonic progressions all seem well thought out and well rehearsed. Perhaps with a little more interest in brevity and an actual ending, Maar could be the best of the year. After the brilliant Golveka and the different but equally powerful Maar, The Evpatoria Report are slowly becoming one of the most important bands in the genre.

-Tyler Fisher