I like the neo-Dadaist title and the artwork looks good, too. Their promo agency got the same name as one of my favourite record stores in Berlin: Ghost Town. But the promo agency resides in Finsterwalde not Friedrichshain… Anyway. Positive associations in my head --> good first impression.

Unfortunately I don’t like the music as much as I like title and artwork. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just absolutely not my style. Normally I don’t get closer than a hundred meters to every place where metalcore or “emotional hardcore with a metal edge” might be played. Not the best base when a band is playing exactly this style of music. But I see that they did solid work. I don’t want to trash the cd immediately. I even listened to it more than once and for the whole playing time. This is already something. The good artwork might have helped here.

The clean vocals are better than with most other bands in this style. They don’t even need stupid sound effects for not sounding like shit. The shouts and growls don’t sound too fake and out of place, either. The sound is clear and good. They got some good guitar leads and a few quite well placed rhythmic breaks. Not too bad. After all they are at least a demographic phenomenon. Only one out of seven members got a name that doesn’t end with an r and they even got an Erik Müller and an Eric Müer. Coincidence or a well calculated plan to impress statistics nerds like me? If names like From Autumn To Ashes or Thrice don’t make you puke immediately this band might be worth a try.  [jan]

www.ofquietwalls.com