Day Without Dawn is the New Jersey act formerly known as The Postman Syndrome, which was an excellent band, so thankfully Day Without Dawn continues in that same vein. It's been far, far too long since these guys released any new material (four years or more, in fact), but this self-titled EP was worth the wait. The five-song, 16-minute CD actually plays through seamlessly like one lengthy composition, and retains the same progressive edge for which the band was known under their former moniker. There are loads of dynamic shifts between lush, jazz-tinged clean breaks and intriguingly layered distorted riffs with some rather slick picking patterns arising on occasion. They also carry that diversity over into the vocal performances as well, alternating between smooth crooning and strained shouts. For my money the singing is by far the more effective of the two vocal approaches (and rightfully dominates the presence of the shouting), though minor adjustments to the recording quality could alter the way things piece together in a manner that might benefit the more aggressive of the two styles. But it's the musicianship and songwriting where these guys really shine—through incredible drum work; impressively pieced together guitar parts that hit on a number of intense melodies; and thick, roving basslines. I really feel like this band has an identifiable sound that's all their own, and hope they can take advantage of the fact that this kind of thing has become a little more accepted in the years since their inception. I'm more than looking forward to another full-length outing from the band, for sure.
Day Without Dawn "Inquisition"
The EP is selling for a mere $5, but if you've never heard The Postman Syndrome's "Terraforming" album then I'd highly recommend taking advantage of the band's offer to buy both CD's for $12. If you enjoy the samples above, you certainly won't be disappointed. Make the purchase and keep an eye on these cats:
Comments
One word: EPIC!
7.20.2006 | By Adrianoso
I always wondered what became of the Postman Syndrome because I was way into the full length in high school and they just kind of seemed to fall off the map. I’ll be checking this one out for sure.
7.20.2006 | By Tyrone
ahh, this is awesome, im glad these guys are still around and making music
7.20.2006 | By Anonymous
the second vocal reminds me of BURST..great stuff,i like it alot
7.20.2006 | By reno
the postman syndrome were great (sometimes too obviously influenced by tool, though), glad to see they’re still at it. good stuff. by the way, is the new helmet review underway? :D
7.20.2006 | By chris
Nah, I don’t really cover current major label-ish stuff because I don’t want to get sued or whatever. But I like the new Helmet. It’s not as good as “Size Matters”, which I thought was way underrated, but it’s quite solid and has some noisier kind of stuff that sounds like their old days. People are bashing the record a lot from what I’ve seen around but that’s bullshit in my opinion.
7.21.2006 | By Andrew Aversionline
I’m loving the music, but I just can’t get into the vocals. Iffy singing and very weak screaming. This band deserves a better voice.
7.21.2006 | By Redeemer
redeemer… the vocals are just your opinion. the two vocalist for this band are amazing. jim sings incredibly well and chris has a voice like no other. this band is a force to be reckoned with. if you don’t think jim sings well… check out Dilation. myspace.com/dilationband . That shows off his voice very well.
7.31.2006 | By Anonymous