Your belated posted for last Thursday is both throwback and look forward: the song itself is from a three-way split from 2009, but it's also from a band that needs to hurry up and release a new record already. Sure, East of the Wall have done another split EP or two recently, and sure, Facebook tells me that they're tracking demos for their next album. But it still feels like it's been forever since Redaction Artifacts, even if 2013 wasn't so long ago as all that.
So maybe we'll get some new straight-up East of the Wall in 2016, but for today (or last Thursday) we're going to go back to the aforementioned 2009 three-way split that East of the Wall was on with Year of No Light and Rosetta (solid line-up, right?) for the three-part instrumental minisuite "Scumbrella". It's a funky, weird piece of work with all the angularity and density you'd expect from something East of the Wall.
Showing posts with label East of the Wall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East of the Wall. Show all posts
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Monday: NY in 64 - A Towering Relic
The great game of catch-up continues today, starting with a Monday song that, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear, isn't an eon long. It is, however, still instrumental, as well as being still awesome. Intrigued? You should be.
I certainly was when I heard that NY in 64 features a couple of members of one of my favourites bands from the last couple of years, East of the Wall. But don't let the fact that half of NY in 64 hails from East of the Wall dissuade you from checking out "A Towering Relic" under the excuse of "it's probably just an EotW clone".
Sure, the first song we're hearing from NY in 64's forthcoming self-titled debut LP is dense and complex, like you might expect. But there's a different feel going on here, and the lack of vocals puts yet another different spin on things. Fans of East of the Wall should feel at home enough, but those who aren't sold on that band should find a little groove of their own here too. Basically everybody should check this one out.
I certainly was when I heard that NY in 64 features a couple of members of one of my favourites bands from the last couple of years, East of the Wall. But don't let the fact that half of NY in 64 hails from East of the Wall dissuade you from checking out "A Towering Relic" under the excuse of "it's probably just an EotW clone".
Sure, the first song we're hearing from NY in 64's forthcoming self-titled debut LP is dense and complex, like you might expect. But there's a different feel going on here, and the lack of vocals puts yet another different spin on things. Fans of East of the Wall should feel at home enough, but those who aren't sold on that band should find a little groove of their own here too. Basically everybody should check this one out.
Thursday, 8 January 2015
East of the Wall - River Man
Earlier in the week I raved about the latest song from Long Island proggers Cryptodira, which hails from an upcoming split the band did with none other than favourites of mine East of the Wall. The sheer awesomeness of "Speaking the Ocean" made me all the more anxious to hear East of the Wall's contribution, and as it turns out I didn't have to wait long.
I came home from work today to find East of the Wall's weirdly cool cover of Nick Drake's "River Man" making the internet rounds. Yes, you read that right: East of the Wall's track on this split with Cryptodira is a cover of a Nick Drake song. Not what you were expecting from a band like East of the Wall? You'd be surprised.
In the tradition of the best covers, East of the Wall don't just do a lounge act, cover band version of "River Man", instead making the song really feel like one of their own. It gets dense and technical, as an East of the Wall song should, and travels pretty far afield from Drake's original, but never so far that it sound like an original rather than a cover. I didn't see this one coming, but that almost makes it better, right? Just check it out already.
I came home from work today to find East of the Wall's weirdly cool cover of Nick Drake's "River Man" making the internet rounds. Yes, you read that right: East of the Wall's track on this split with Cryptodira is a cover of a Nick Drake song. Not what you were expecting from a band like East of the Wall? You'd be surprised.
In the tradition of the best covers, East of the Wall don't just do a lounge act, cover band version of "River Man", instead making the song really feel like one of their own. It gets dense and technical, as an East of the Wall song should, and travels pretty far afield from Drake's original, but never so far that it sound like an original rather than a cover. I didn't see this one coming, but that almost makes it better, right? Just check it out already.
Monday, 5 January 2015
Saturday: Cryptodira - Speaking the Ocean
Time for a Saturday song, and I've got something suitably tasty picked out for a weekend jam.
I've raved more than once about post-hardcore/metal band East of the Wall, and while I haven't heard any news about a new EOTW LP yet, I have read (as you may have as well) about a forthcoming split EP they're doing with a band called Cryptodira. I haven't heard the East of the Wall track yet, but if it's anything like the offering from Cryptodira, it slays!
And realistically it could be. "Speaking the Ocean" is my first brush with Cryptodira, but the song's musicianship and sheer density remind me of East of the Wall and make the two bands' cohabitation on a split entirely understandable. I'll definitely be delving into some more from these guys, and you probably should too. Sounds like their next LP might just be killer, and right up my proggy alley.
I've raved more than once about post-hardcore/metal band East of the Wall, and while I haven't heard any news about a new EOTW LP yet, I have read (as you may have as well) about a forthcoming split EP they're doing with a band called Cryptodira. I haven't heard the East of the Wall track yet, but if it's anything like the offering from Cryptodira, it slays!
And realistically it could be. "Speaking the Ocean" is my first brush with Cryptodira, but the song's musicianship and sheer density remind me of East of the Wall and make the two bands' cohabitation on a split entirely understandable. I'll definitely be delving into some more from these guys, and you probably should too. Sounds like their next LP might just be killer, and right up my proggy alley.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Album of the Week: East of the Wall - Redaction Artifacts
This week's album is another instance of me putting your money where my mouth is, so to speak. What in the fuck do I mean by that? Well, it's not unheard of that I recommend a song to you on any given day with the caveat that, sure, song X is great on its own, but put back into the context of album Y it's even better.
In other words, I often tell you about bands and artists whose work is best experienced in complete, album-sized chunks rather than one song at a time. These are the albums that, for one reason or another, demand to be heard in full -- no skimming just the singles, no skipping the "boring" stuff, just put in on and let it go.
One of the aforementioned possible reasons for taking in the whole of an album like, say, East of the Wall's 2013 record Redaction Artifacts, is sheer density. There's just so much going on in East of the Wall's intricate, layered compositions on Redaction that it takes more than one song to get your head around the band's sound.
But like a Tootsie Roll, I promise you the time investment will pay off when you get to the creamy centre. The only downside? No full album streams floating around that I've found, so you'll either have to content yourself with the band's previous album The Apologist or you'll just have to do yourself a favour and pick yourself up a copy of Redaction Artifacts.
In other words, I often tell you about bands and artists whose work is best experienced in complete, album-sized chunks rather than one song at a time. These are the albums that, for one reason or another, demand to be heard in full -- no skimming just the singles, no skipping the "boring" stuff, just put in on and let it go.
One of the aforementioned possible reasons for taking in the whole of an album like, say, East of the Wall's 2013 record Redaction Artifacts, is sheer density. There's just so much going on in East of the Wall's intricate, layered compositions on Redaction that it takes more than one song to get your head around the band's sound.
But like a Tootsie Roll, I promise you the time investment will pay off when you get to the creamy centre. The only downside? No full album streams floating around that I've found, so you'll either have to content yourself with the band's previous album The Apologist or you'll just have to do yourself a favour and pick yourself up a copy of Redaction Artifacts.
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
East of the Wall - Noir Filter
I picked the latest album by today's band as one of my Ten Best of 2013, and I've featured them here in the hallowed halls of the Song of the Day before, but I feel for some reason like these guys are under-appreciated outside of the online metal community. I could be completely off base here, but that isn't going to stop me from proclaiming once again the awesomeness of East of the Wall.
Redaction Artifacts is a difficult record to describe: broad, kinda vague terms like "post-metal" or "prog" can sketch an outline, and I could fill in a million and one details about dissonant riffs and weirdly infectious grooves, but you should probably just listen to East of the Wall for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
Today I'm recommending album closer "Noir Filter", but if you've got more than the epic ten minutes required for this one, then I strongly urge you to listen to Redcation Artifacts in full. It's an experience you'll be glad you undertook.
Redaction Artifacts is a difficult record to describe: broad, kinda vague terms like "post-metal" or "prog" can sketch an outline, and I could fill in a million and one details about dissonant riffs and weirdly infectious grooves, but you should probably just listen to East of the Wall for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
Today I'm recommending album closer "Noir Filter", but if you've got more than the epic ten minutes required for this one, then I strongly urge you to listen to Redcation Artifacts in full. It's an experience you'll be glad you undertook.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
East of the Wall - Obfuscator Dye
Speaking (as I was yesterday) of bands and albums that cropped on some end of the year lists, I think today's band flew under a lot of people's radars until the release of their latest album last October. I know I'd never heard of East of the Wall before I read about Redaction Artifacts, but I sure as shit know about them now.
Intricate and layered guitar work is front and center here, combined with fresh, complex drumming and a bucket-load of interesting melodic choices, result in a record that maintains a certain off-kilter beauty while still sounding, at times, truly menacing. Have a listen to the five-minute groove-fest that is "Obfuscator Dye" for a taste of the barely digestible immensity that is Redaction Artifacts.
Intricate and layered guitar work is front and center here, combined with fresh, complex drumming and a bucket-load of interesting melodic choices, result in a record that maintains a certain off-kilter beauty while still sounding, at times, truly menacing. Have a listen to the five-minute groove-fest that is "Obfuscator Dye" for a taste of the barely digestible immensity that is Redaction Artifacts.
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