“When I first heard ACT III (which was only very recently, so it’s still new to me), I had the feeling of being proud of my friend, being proud to hear him outdoing himself once again. It came to me in a time when I was in a ring of self-doubt, and it was incredibly inspiring. One moment you’re drunk at a dangerous gypsy wedding (‘The Poison Woman’), the next you’re hearing some Freddie Mercury and Janis Joplin lovechild, making you rock and bob your head incessantly, singing ‘ohh on the other side’ or ‘we have to learn to live a lie or we’re waiting here to die’--so breathtaking--you might be saying, ‘oh well he’s just that dude’s buddy and would like anything he did,’ but to that I say, ‘f**k you.’ He's threatened to kill me on more than one occasion and if this s**t wasn't important I wouldn't listen to it or feel such an urgent need to pass it along and share. The album makes me want to be a better musician, it also makes me grateful to live in this amazing time in musical history where an artist like Casey should be nurtured like a baby seal that could save all our lives one day with its flippers or nosey.”

“Every band wants to say that they are evolving,” says Casey Crescenzo about ACT III: LIFE AND DEATH, “and that with each new record they are tapping into a new era for the band--usually spouting off a phrase akin to ‘This record is so much more melodic--the heavy parts are heavier, and the soft parts are more serene.’ A record speaks for itself and the only job of the artist is to create and not promote. Having said that, we make no attempts to declare the magnitude of the record from the point of view of the audience. The only thing we can proclaim is how rewarding the creation of the record has been and just how profound the effect of that creativity has been on our lives. As we approach the point of detachment, we hope that this work can translate to the listener.”

He continues, “The themes for the record fall slightly darker than previous work. Set in a WWI era, ACT III sets its own course with no direct historical ties, only a loyalty to the emotions of the human spirit, documenting the metamorphoses of a fictional central character as he makes the transition from innocence to impurity. With a great deal of care given to marrying all aspects of an album, ACT III follows these themes within the context of lyrics, music, and tonality.”

ACT III is the follow-up to 2007’s ACT II: THE MEANING OF, & ALL THINGS REGARDING MS. LEADING, which was described by Alternative Press as an album that “...goes from haunting and otherworldly (‘The Oracles On The Delphi Express’) to utterly fantastic—‘The Bitter Suite 1 And 2: Meeting Ms. Leading’ is a chamber indie-pop masterpiece, complete with an instantly memorable piano line and a chorus as big as the song title.”

Outburn magazine took it a step further: “ACT I: THE LAKE SOUTH, THE RIVER NORTH was a precursor to what Casey Crescenzo could create via his vice, The Dear Hunter. A genre shattering concept album, ACT I set the precedence of what was to come with his follow-up ACT II: THE MEANING OF, AND ALL THINGS REGARDING MS. LEADING. While ACT I contained chapel-like verses, hard rock guitars, and non-vocal selections, ACT II pushes those parameters on a gargantuan scale with a score apt on a Broadway level…Dare not call ACT II a concept album, but rather, abstract musical poetry. 9 out of 10”

“Leaving pride out of the equation,” declares Casey, “we strongly suggest you set aside an hour of your day, remove yourself from the woes of reality and enjoy ACT III: LIFE AND DEATH.”
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