Album Preview: Ressentiment
East of the Wall have a lot going for them on their new full-length, Ressentiment, which is set for release July 20, 2010. The whole album is very well put-together, beautifully written, and ceaselessly interesting. Ressentiment goes through changes almost thematically, switching up smoothly while making it so that nothing feels cheap or gimmicky, thrown in or unnecessary. Every aspect of every song seems to contribute to the record in its own little way.
Even the interludes are interesting, “It’s Always Worthwhile Talking to a Clever Man” is a little 47 second song that sounds like something Castro would listen to in a lounge while smoking a cigar, with The Most Interesting Man in the World. It creates a nice break in the pace of the album but is not too long and doesn’t take away from the flow as it sets up perfectly for "Fleshmaker," one of the heavier songs on the album.
Ressentiment is very guitar-driven, technical and diverse, but rather than let the guitar take over the whole album, East of the Wall have managed to bring out the full band, and in some cases, other instruments which do more than just add depth or accentuate certain pieces. "Salieri," the second song on the album, brings out horns to change the feel of the music. It serves as one of many surprises on Ressentiment that makes the album so perfect.
A healthy portion of the album is sung, rather than screamed, and while it’s hard to discern what’s more dominant on the album, all of the vocals are well-performed and never feel forced or out of place. Sometimes the vocals are sparse, other times, prevalent, but the vocals, like the rest of the album change almost constantly. The solos on the album are not to be overlooked though. A lot of the leads on the album are incredible. The solos soar over the compositions, giving new dimension and feeling to the songs.
Lots of clean vocals and guitar as well as mellow, almost peaceful compositions throughout the album make it one worth putting on the record player and just listening to while you wind down from a tough day, but the album is a diverse piece, containing just as much “heavy” as light. Ressentiment is not to be written off as soft, by any means. East of the Wall have done everything different and nothing wrong. This is likely to be the single most eclectic album of 2010. I’m tempted to say that Ressentiment is a masterpiece. 10 out of 10.
Head to Gravedigger Magazine's Tumblr to stream a song from the album and get a copy of Ressentiment when it comes out on July 20. Also, look out for East of the Wall on tour this summer, with dates across the US, including a show at The Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta with Let The Night Roar on July 7.