East of the Wall - Farmer's Almanac Review
by Mark Hensch
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So much of music is based on language that when something comea along utterly ignoring it, that something hits like a ton of brinks. Such is the case for New Jersey's East of the Wall. Their debut full length, Farmer's Almanac, features not even a second of spoken language. East of the Wall instead connects with listeners by pure, atavistic force of will.
The band accomplishes this difficult feat with an abstract brand of metal, the likes of which is consistently heavy yet consistently soothing. It morphs and melts into different moods, the individual band members seamlessly combining with one another into repeated displays of technical wizardry. Though describing these shifts borders on the futile, East of the Wall somehow reconnects with the listeners' emotions, luring them into unfettered feeling.
For the sake of description, one should assume East of the Wall sounds like a vibrant rendering of Pink Floyd, Dsyrythmia, Cave In, Neurosis, and Scale the Summit. Even this picture is misleading, however – every conceivable noise put forth by East of the Wall is joyous and transcendental. From the brisk riffing of "Meat Pendulum" to the otherworldly tectonic activity of "Winter Breath," Farmer's Almanac also maintains a level of infectious catchiness one would not normally associate with an instrumental band. This does not mean Farmer's Almanac lacks its heavy parts though – "Century of Excellence" lays down nuclear-powered slams while "'Switchblade Knife" reaps fields of pain with riffs that cut from one direction and crush in another. Best of all is the "Unwanted Guest" duo, the likes of which spans the musical spectrum from Tool-esque tribalism into dream-like, sparkling heaviness and back again.
Lush and inviting, Farmer's Almanac really is all about the music. The rhythmic, complex arrangements on offer here are a sort of canvas, upon the likes of which listeners can paint almost any scenario. When presented with such a unique album, it is as if the creativity of the band melts into the creativity of the listener, the former's music inspiring the latter's feelings. Having been through the entirety of Farmer's Almanac myself, I can heartily say that what I am feeling is happy, wicked, and overjoyed after hearing this.
East of the Wall's Farmer's Almanac
Meat Pendulum
Winter Breath
Century of Excellence
Switchblade Knife
Clowning Achievement
Unwanted Guest (I)
Unwanted Guest (II)
I am Crying Nonstop Hysterically
CD Info and Links
East of the Wall - Farmer's Almanac Rating:10.00
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