The band has stated that the seven tracks on The Cartographer are not simply a selection of b-sides unfit for Varuna but are songs that needed to be heard on their own, and they were right. Varuna was a long epic that showcased a story of heartbreak and struggle for the band, and while the EP does some of the same, it is in a way a polar opposite of the LP. For fans that have had difficulty getting into The Republic Of Wolves’s discography, The Cartographer is a perfect middle-piece between His Old Branches and Varuna in terms of sound, production, and lasting value.
 
“The Pilot And The Pilot’s Boy” is a short but intriguing intro that is ruled by industrial sounds, synths, and train bells before its abrupt end and transition into the second track. Listeners will notice that Gregg Dellarocca’s vocals are much more present than on Varuna, which was dominated by Mason Maggio, and his voice comes as a pleasant surprise on “Home.” “Home” track gives an look into the whole EP and shows the significant change from the band’s previous release. The track features lively guitar parts that are almost unique for the band as well as higher pitched vocals that are a nice change from the darkness of Varuna.
 
“Calm Down” at first-glance might seem like a predictable song from The Republic Of Wolves. But, after having an understandable amount of stress on their shoulders to follow-up His Old Branches with Varuna, the band seems to have found their composure with this release, and the tracks on it show them letting go and exploring the full extent of their sound.
 
The two tracks that sound closest to those on Varuna are “Widow’s Walk” and “India.” Both tracks remain complete opposites of each other but would fit perfectly with the highs and lows of the LP. “Widow’s Walk” features close industrial and guitar sounds like that of “Greek Fire” while the explosion of screams on “India” are reminiscent of “Oarsman.”
 
The standout track on The Cartographer easily is “Mirage.” In terms of lyrics, music, and production, it shows the band breaking out to the far limits of their talent. In a truly heartbreaking fashion, Dellarocca mutters, “All the wars that you set // It was worth it for you // Now I’m practically dead // And it was worth it for you” on top of perfectly placed “Whoas” from the band.
 
The EP ends with “The Dead Men Stood Together,” which holds some of the band’s hardest-hitting drums and guitar parts to date. The song, which is nine minutes long fades out at six minutes, but beware of the hidden track in the last minute that brings The Cartographer to a perfect close.
 
****/*****