Whilst trolling Facebook for hot babez last night I stumbled upon the following nugget of wondrousjoy:
Yes yes yes YES, ya’ll! One might accuse me of being one of the aforementioned unreasonably excited fellows except I’d say that my excitement is actually quite reasonable; East of the Wall’s progtastically unpretentious Ressentiment is easily one of my favorite metal record of 2010. I haven’t listened to it in a while so maybe I oughtta give it a spin right now to get in the right mind frame to write this post… ah, yes… there it is… that opening riff of “The Ladder” makes me want to punch things. Holy cow.
In any case, one might think it odd that East of the Wall are almost done writing a new record in the same year in which they released one, but there’s more to the story.
Monday, November 29th, 2010 at 4:30pm by Axl Rosenberg
Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit: Apparently not a candidate for best album of the year.
Yep yep yep: the right honorable Mr. Phil Freeman of MSN’s “Headbang” blog has revealed the 135 finalists which will soon be whittled down for his “Twenty Best Metal Albums of 2010″ list, which will presumably be published sometime in the coming weeks. You can go here to read it, and then leave Phil angry comments about how your favorite album isn’t even on this list of 135 records.
East of the Wall’s Ressentiment is one of my favorite metal records of 2010 and you haven’t listened to it yet.
Why not? It’s full of expansive, progressive post-hardcore soundscapes and it’s intelligent beyond belief; it’s like if Walter Schreifels, Page Hamilton and Ben Weinman all went to art school together and put together a master thesis on how to best make awesome metal. Swirling, angular, delay-soaked guitars full of melody and dissonance in equal measures, weaving and winding basslines and propulsive, driving, yet tastefully intricate drums set the backdrop for explosive songs that take you on a journey and don’t get lost in themselves. It’s a challenging record, sure, but that’s the beauty of it: each listen to this album unfolds new layers of awesomeness that make you go “Ah! I get it now.”
You guys really seem to dig East of the Wall whenever we post about them which makes me very happy, because that band is awesome. Ressentiment is quickly working its way up my list of favorite albums released so far in 2010.
So with that band in mind, I present to you two other fantastic bands cut from the same cloth that I’ve been meaning to write about for some time:
Gifts From Enola: Atmospheric guitar soundscapes ala Moving Mountains, Constants, Junius or even Jupiter-era Cave In atop a thundering platform of fuzzed-out bass and driving drums. These Harrisonburg, VA gents play dense, complex music that’s surprisingly easy to listen to… just sit back and let the beauteous sounds wash over you. Their self-titled debut is out now.
Nero Order: More on the weird/dissonant tip than Gifts From Enola, but definitely channeling some of the same influences for a slightly darker, doomier sound that’s just as much fun to listen to. Whereas the former’s soundscapes wash over you, Nero Order’s atmospherics pull you into the riptide and sweep you away.
Since Axl and I are very patriotic types (couldn’t you tell?) we’ve decide to close the Mansion a bit early this holiday weekend so we can get to the flag-waving festivities as soon as possible.
Kidding! We’re closing early so we can get hiiiiigh and then go see FAITH NO FUCKING MORE! Neither one of us having seen FNM before (although I had a chance to in 1997 and, for some reason, didn’t), we’ve literally been waiting for this moment for most of our lives. We will not be schmoozing with the industry types at a bar in the back, nor will we be politely bobbing our heads on the periphery somewhere… we’ll be right up fucking front, rocking the fuck out as hard as possible (old fashioned push-pit? I hope). To that end, I’m pretty sure we won’t even be drinking tonight; me because I want to remember this night perfectly, and Axl because he doesn’t wanna have to go pee-pee during the show. The man is smart, I tell you.
Here’s what happened this week in the world of metal:
Since July 4th falls on a Sunday this year, the gates of the Mansion will be shuttered on Monday, July 5th — like most U.S. businesses — so we can extend the partying by an extra day. See you Tuesday, Suckers.
Prolific New Jersey progressive death metallers The Binary Code — whose debut full-length album Suspension of Disbelief we released in December — are back with a new body of work a mere 7 months later, having just announced they’ll be releasing the 4-song Priest EP on August 10th. MetalSucks isn’t involved in the release effort this time around as that was only ever meant to be a one-time thing (as will be the case for any bands we decide to work with in the future), but we’ve had the privilege of hearing the Priest EP, and man is it smokin’! It’s the next step in the evolution of this incredibly creative band to be sure.
In addition to selling their own digital downloads and download + t-shirt packages for Priest, the band has made a very special limited edition of CDs available; the jewel cases have been hand-painted, autographed by all members of the band, and hand-numbered, and man do they look sweet. Only 50 copies will be available (25 Super-Special Edition and 25 Regular Special Edition!) and word from the band is that they’re already almost sold out despite having only been made available last night, so you better get on that horse and pre-order yours today.
Watch the above video clip of the guys making, assembling and signing the limited edition CDs set to clips from the new EP. That’s fucking dedication to your craft. Axl gave ya’ll a preview of new music from Priest back in April when it was first announced, so check that out too if you want to hear more of what the EP has to offer.
Priest EP drops August 10th. The Binary Code will have an EP release party at The Charleston in Brooklyn with East of the Wall (whose bassist Brett Bamberger will be pulling double duty!), Meek is Murder, and Name.
I know it’s “Be Nice Day” at MetalSucks, but there’s really no need to sugarcoat anything by NJ post-hardcore progsters East of the Wall or their new album Ressentiment (out July 20th) which absolutely melts faces. But before we get to our exclusive premiere of album-opening track “The Ladder,” — and since it’s “Be Nice Day” — let’s have a look at some of the very nice things you all had to say about East of the Wall the last time I posted about them:
NateD: “Farmers Almanac was excellent, cant wait for the new stuff.”
brent: “These guys are amazing. You’ve done it again, Vince. Thanks for the heads up.”
mitch k: “im drunk and dont really get what im listening to but i really like it… i know that much”
Kyle Heider: “Holy fuck, A+ recommendation, these dudes rule :D”
Zack Bolien: “Every once in a while you guys come through with a band Ive never heard of that’s awesome. This is one of those times. And they’re playing my town the 7th, sweet.”
Miguel Sanchez: “It really shits me off that this band isnt more popular than they are. Fucking fantastic artists.”
Sausage Mahoney: “EOTW are a bunch of pretentious..wait…PORtentious, whiny, half-emo alt rockers who couldn’t lick the boots of the likes of Spike Jonze. Boo these men. Boo them, I say.”
Wait a minute… that last one wasn’t so nice. It doesn’t even make sense. You have no place here on “Be Nice Day,” Mr. Sausage Mahoney; boo on you.
Without further ado, here’s “The Ladder.” Pre-order Ressentiment here before it comes out on July 20th via Translation Loss. Catch East of the Wall on tour all over the U.S. with Name and Black Sheep Wall starting this weekend (dates here).
New Jersey’s East of the Wall are that rare band that appeal to artsy indie types and metal nerds in equal measures; their dazzling blend of technical post-hardcore aggression, melody and indie sensibility is really one of a kind. And the fact that the band kicks so much fucking arse live makes it all the better. These are dudes who, in various formations, used to be in the bands Biclops, Day Without Dawn and The Postman Syndrome, so all those years of live gigging have definitely paid off.
First time I heard their 2008 full-length Farmer’s Almanac, the minute it ended I actually started it right back up again from the very beginning. The music is just that fascinating and intricate, and several full listens later I still haven’t fully grasped the entirety of what’s happening in the music (and this is a good thing). Kip posted some live footage of “I Am Crying Nonstop Hysterically” from that album which you should definitely take a look at. Needless to say, I’m really excited for East of the Wall’s new album Ressentiment, which comes out July 20th on Translation Loss.
As Axl reported back in February, East of the Wall have two new songs currently streaming on their MySpace page. Gravedigger Mag has a third track called “Ocean of Water.” All three are from EOTW’s new album. Get stoked… it’s a doozy. Catch them on tour with Name all over the U.S. in July; dates here.
“The last day of SXSW is always the most metal.” – Kip Wingerschimidt, the morning of the last day of SXSW 2009, before staying up all night partying with Dredg and then tearing the insides of his knee to shreds in the most non-metal of ways whilst getting ready to go to the airport. Fortunately there would be no injuries this year, but the last day of SXSW was indeed quite metal, we did stay up all night, and we worked out some really sweet deals.
Only one problem: it was fucking cold outside. Not just Texas cold… actual cold, like low 40s / high 30s. We New Yorkers are used to that kind of weather (on a good day in the winter) but having to endure it in Austin in the Spring was a major buzzkill.
The calm before the storm… E. 6th St. at about noon, while trucks are making their beer deliveries and everyone else is still sleeping off their hangovers from the night before.
But we had our own method of keeping warm. With at least half of the bag o’ herbals left and only one day to smoke it, it was do or die time for the sweet leaf we purchased in Dallas. First mission of the day was to roll it all up. Fifteen minutes later we were ready to begin our final mission, five joints in tow.
And that’s not just because they are a bunch of raging h-moes who love sausage; this undeniably impressive outfit from smelly NJ have so much happening on their musical plate that they simply cannot be sated by one serving.
Fanciful guitars dancing fluidly together, nimble basswork that isn’t afraid to get high, sharp anchored drumming that glues the whole thing together…..this band was somehow not on my radar until the recent South by South Drunk debacle, but rest assured from this point forward I’m extremely eager to see where these uber-creative folk take their powerful sound.
Plenty more tracks from these meat-hungry maniacs on their MySpace page…
And don’t forget to check out their prior group The Postman Syndrome (which is about to release a previously unavailable album, whoahhhhhh)
In which we ate epic BBQ and saw an epic headline set by Muse…
Every year at SXSW I make time for a trip down to the Salt Lick. It’s never easy; at 45 minutes outside the city limits it turns into a 3+ hour adventure, and the tricky part is getting a ride. Thankfully this year the dudes in East of the Wall and Goes Cube hooked it up big time and by noon me, Kip, and Rob from Metal Injection were on our way to Driftwood.
I know there are other great BBQ places, even inside Austin itself, but the Salt Lick is so fucking good I just can’t NOT go there. By the time we rolled up to the Salt Lick parking lot with Goes Cube, East of the Wall were ready and waiting with a case of beer (Salt Lick is BYOB). We quickly sucked down the two joints we’d rolled that morning and put our names on the list, and within 20 minutes we were sitting at a table ready to gorge ourselves on meat.
Salt Lick offers “all you can eat” meat platters for $15 per person. They include brisket, ribs and sausage, and they’ll just keep bringing you more platters until you say stop. Stoned, drunk and jubilated we tore into the meat as soon as our waiter set it down on the table. For some reason the question “Another round of meat, guys?” elicited constant laughs… there’s something about the concept of being able to order rounds of meat that tickled us silly.
The road leading to post-experimental-progressive metallers East of the Wall‘s forthcoming Translation Loss full-length Ressentiment has been a long one. The band’s initial incarnation was comprised of four of the five members of The Postman Syndrome, whose debut LP Terraforming was met with critical acclaim but whose 2nd album never saw the light of day. The Postman Syndrome’s members went on to split time in various formations between Biclops and East of the Wall, but within the last couple of months it was announced that those two bands were combining not only members but songs and continuing on just as East of the Wall. Got all that?
Sweet. Because I can’t speak for past East of the Wall lineups, but the current Biclops/EotW hybrid completely knocked my socks off last Monday at NYC’s Lit Lounge. The band tore through three songs before the NYU hipster brigade rolled in at 11:30 to shake their booties to bad ’80s-imitation dance music, but those three songs (which are at least twice the length of most bands’ songs) impressed the fucking bajesus out of me! What I’ve heard of Ressentiment so far had impressed me, but having seen the band live brings my anticipation of the album to a whole new level.
Back to The Postman Syndrome. The aforementioned unreleased 2nd album will finally see the light of day as God Relieve Our Grief: A Mausoleum Of Stillborn Demos, which the band is releasing entirely themselves, smartly timed to coincide with East of the Wall’s pending album release. Since it’s a DIY operation everything is being done on the cheap, which means that they’re able to offer fans a super-awesome package for a relatively small chunk of change:
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 2:00pm by Axl Rosenberg
If you don’t know East of the Wall, you should learn about them right quick. For one thing, the share a member with The Binary Code – that would be bassist Brett Bamberger -and for another thing, well, they rock. If The Binary Code are too tech-y for you, East of the Wall may be more your speed – it still has a proggy, experimental vibe, but it’s somewhat more straight-forward art metal than TBC.
The band has a new album, Ressentiment, coming out in July on Translation Loss, and have debuted two new songs from that record on their MySpace page: “Salieri” and “Fleshmaker.” They’re both sweet. Go give ‘em a listen!
The road leading to post-experimental-progressive metallers 
