As any record collector will agree, there’s nothing more satisfying than opening up a package to find a record that’s been pressed and put together with love. That’s how I felt when I received my copy of the 20th anniversary reissue of Circle Takes The Square’s classic debut album, ‘As The Roots Undo’.
Originally released in 2004 through Robotic Empire/HyperRealist, ‘As The Roots Undo’ is, without any hyperbole, a masterpiece of the screamo genre. Really, calling it a screamo record is doing it a disservice, as it’s so much more than that. I’d argue it’s more a progressive punk record, but I could spend hours breaking down the different elements of what makes up this ground-breaking album and that’s not what this is about.
This reissue has been handled by the band themselves through their own label, Gatepost Recordings. This has allowed them release the album the way they want, and every detail has been given the care and attention it deserves. This did mean it had a $39 price point, and with shipping to the UK this was not a cheap purchase, but knowing it was the band overseeing it, and how lavish this package is makes it worth every penny.
The recycled card tri-fold sleeve is reminiscent of the original 8-panel digipak that came with the 2004 CD issue. I never had an original pressing of the LP, and I couldn’t find my CD for a comparison so I’m going off memory here. The artwork, done by vocalist/guitarist Andrew Speziale, was always one of the most striking things about this album, and seeing it in this form is wonderful.
It has a UV gloss and metallic ink with a superb matte finish. This pressing does come with an all-new fold out lyric sheet, and on the other side has the album art with a slightly different colour tone. Nothing about this was rushed or by accident, and was clearly a labour of love.
Four colourways were released for this anniversary pressing of ‘As The Roots Undo’, with this one being the Evergreen with Black and White Splatter out of 275 copies. I don’t know if this pressing has been remastered, and I can’t find any clear information as to whether or not the album has ever been remastered. It always sounded great to me regardless, but this vinyl pressing sounds even better. It’s bright and clear in all the right places, with every nuance cutting through the mix.
A nice little touch was getting a personal thanks on a postcard from bass player/vocalist, Katheen Stubelek.
When so many reissues today get thrown together, and some new releases in general pumped out with little to no quality control, to see something put together like this in 2024 makes me very happy. The band and everyone involved should be so proud of this project.
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