Florida-based post-hardcore outfit Capstan fuses metallic ferocity and drive with the shifting dynamics, layered intricacy, and split-second accuracy of progressive rock. Frontman Anthony DeMario readily exposes raw personal feelings through his words, producing lyrics whose emotional weight aligns with the thoughtful force of his bandmates’ playing. The 2016 EP Cultural Divide first reached many listeners thanks to the traction of “Wax Poetic”; the more refined Restless Heart, Keep Running appeared in 2019 as the band’s initial effort on Fearless Records; and Separate, released in 2021, emerged as a tightly integrated, meticulously shaped collection composed while touring was halted.
Capstan originated in Orlando, Florida, in 2012 when bassist-vocalist Andrew Bozymowski and guitarist Harrison Bormann established the group. Both Midwestern natives, the pair had already performed together in high-school bands before Bormann relocated to Florida for audio-engineering studies and Bozymowski enrolled at Michigan State University. In Orlando, Bormann met Michigan native Anthony DeMario, who was already acquainted with Bozymowski. The two began composing and demoing material, after which drummer Scott Fisher joined to complete the lineup. The project was christened Capstan; Bozymowski moved to Orlando, securing the bass position. In 2013 the band tracked three tracks for a split EP with Priorities, followed by the December 2014 release of their own seven-song EP Seasonal Depression. Capstan expanded to a five-piece in 2015 when guitarist Joseph Mabry came aboard, showcasing the expanded lineup on that year’s Parting Gifts. After issuing the self-released 2016 EP Cultural Divide—home to the streaming favorite “Wax Poetic”—the band attracted manager Michael Kaminsky, whose roster already included Neck Deep, Tonight Alive, and As It Is. Launching Adventure Cat Records, Kaminsky signed Capstan as one of the label’s earliest acts, re-releasing Cultural Divide and issuing In the Wake of Our Discord in 2018. Later that year the single “Haunted” appeared, prompting Fearless Records to offer a deal. Accepting the proposal, Capstan delivered their debut full-length, Restless Heart, Keep Running, on the label in September 2019. Prevented from touring by the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, the members focused on writing, producing twenty-four songs before selecting the strongest ten. The resulting recordings became 2021’s Separate, which the band regards as their most accomplished album to date.
