EAST OF THE WALL

Some of my fellow collaborators, Sebastian and Igor in particular, have been blabbing on and on about Day Without Dawn and their related groups over the past year or so. While I've still not fallen in love with The Postman Syndrome, Day Without Dawn or Biclops (the vocals being the main reason), I've really taken a liking to East of the Wall. East of the Wall contains members of one or more of the aforemention (if I remember correctly), but unlike those bands, East of the Wall is an instrumental outfit. Stylistically, their debut EP is most comparable to Russian Circles; they both have similar sound & dynamics, and a bunch of textural tapping riffs. There is also a comparison that can be made with Red Sparowes. What sets this body of work apart from the works of Russian Circles is predominantly a mild jazz influence. There are a few other intangible differences as well - it won't be mistaken for either of those bands - and so we have a four-song EP, actually breaking the 30-minute marker, that is both unique yet familiar and complex but very easy to get into. Each track does its own thing and has its own share of merits. It's a very solid debut release, though it is clear that the band hasn't really found their sound yet. They would take a significantly different direction with their first official full-length, though. East of the Wall is definitely a band to keep an eye on in the future, but don't miss out on the opportunity to hear them in the present too. Check this out.