Wall Premiere Debut Album Brick by Brick; Out Tomorrow
Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on August 29th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
UK instrumentalist duo Wall release their debut album, Brick by Brick, tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 30, on APF Records. The 54-minute 13-tracker follows behind two successful EPs in 2021’s Wall (review here) and Vol. 2 (review here), and is an exercise in riff-forward ethics from “Wrath of the Serpent” onward, wrought by the Oxford-based brotherly team of guitarist Ryan Cole and drummer Eliot Cole, best known for their work together in heavy rockers The Grand Mal and the aggro stomping Desert Storm. Most of it, including “Wrath of the Serpent,” which opens, is culled from the EPs, but side B’s “Masking My Contempt,” “Cirrhosis” and “Filthy Doner Kebab on a Got Full of Lager” would seem to be more recent — the album credits state it was recorded between 2020-2024 — and as they provide some pointedly crushing moments to echo earlier pieces like “Sonic Mass” and “Avalanche.”
The covers — “Nineteen” by US Midwestern sans-vocal pattern-setters Karma to Burn and “Electric Funeral” (premiered here) by the grandmasters Black Sabbath — are telling as regards overall methodology, and if Wall‘s next outing included a take on Mastodon‘s “Mother Puncher” or some other earlier, gnarly-angled onslaught, it would be likewise fitting with some of the brasher and more winding fare on Brick by Brick in songs like “Legion” and ‘The Tusk,” which twist and chug and hair-pin turn through their processions where “Speedfreak” offers more forward thrust and “Obsidian” layers lead flourish over its righteously slowed-down, lumbering central figure. Clearly Wall know where they’re coming from, and while Brick by Brick is a debut, that consciousness shouldn’t be a surprise given the Coles’ 15-plus-year tenure in Desert Storm.
They’re brothers, so do I really have to say the band is tight? They’ve probably been making music together since before they knew what music was. Accordingly, Brick by Brick works as well as it does in no small part because of the unflinching and organic chemistry between the instruments, and while the songs are structured in the Karma to Burn tradition — as opposed to being jams or snippets of jams edited down — the span of time perceived throughout as one cluster of EP material mingles with the other and gives over to “Cirrhosis” and “Filthy Doner Kebab on a Gut Full of Lager” before “Electric Funeral” closes out (guest vocals from Dave Oglesby of The Grand Mal included) gives a sense of variety in terms of intention, though the purpose underlining the material front-to-back is consistent. Once again, Wall have a solid idea what they’re going for, as they’ve demonstrated is the case all along for the better part of the last half-decade.
Coincident to that is a lack of pretense that becomes a defining feature of Brick by Brick. Yeah, they’ve got riffs. They know it, you know it. The sample from American Beauty at the start of “Masking My Contempt” that goes, “My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men’s room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn’t so closely resemble hell,” is a standout moment for the fact that it’s a human voice, but it’s a choice that perhaps tells the listener something about where Wall‘s motivations lie. Life isn’t short on bullshit now, and it certainly wasn’t when Eliot and Ryan started putting these songs together, so if there’s some escapist factor in their clarity to go with the restlessness that birthed the project in the first place, fair enough. One way or the other, Brick by Brick is duly solid — derp — but still feels free as it rides one groove into another across its span.
And I guess by “free” I don’t mean in the jazz sense, but free as in that feeling you get when you know that the only thing restraining you most of the time is yourself and you’re able to move past it, even for just a while. Whatever the future might manifest as the Coles move forward with Wall and their other bands, collecting the EP material and coupling it with some newer songs gives a portrait of growth in process and a dynamic taking shape, but while that may be true, even saying so feels like a too-lofty description of what’s happening throughout. At its core, it’s brothers sharing a love of heavy music and making it together. They don’t need words to communicate it — and if the words they do have are the lyrics to “Electric Funeral,” well, that’ll probably do the job too.
Brick by Brick streams in its entirety below, followed by more info courtesy of the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Elliot Cole on Brick by Brick:
Our debut album is here today, and we’re really pleased for you all to hear it. If you are a fan of heavy music and riffs in general, then we hope you will enjoy it, and that this album is for you! As an instrumental band, it’s all about the power of the riff, and this album is full of them. ‘Brick by Brick’ is built with 10 tracks of our own and two covers on the album – paying respect to two bands that have been a huge influence on us, firstly, the best band of all time – Black Sabbath, we covered Electric Funeral, and then the kings of Instrumental stoner rock – the much missed ‘Karma To Burn’ we covered ’19’. So, buy the album, stream the album, play loud and spread the word! Get to a show and follow us on our social media pages. Thanks for the support.
Pre-order link: https://apfrecords.co.uk/bands/wall
WALL – An instrumental 2-piece heavy fucking riff machine, built brick by brick & riff by riff by twin brothers and Desert Storm members Ryan & Elliot Cole.
Released on 30th August via APF Records (Desert Storm, Video Nasties, Barbarian Hermit), their debut album ‘Brick by Brick’ is overflowing with unashamed Iommi-worshipping, instrumental, sludge/doom metal. With the band taking inspiration from the first 6 Black Sabbath albums as well as being influenced by the undisputed kings of instrumental stoner rock – the much missed Karma To Burn, drummer Elliot Cole comments on some of the other artists they were listening to at the time while writing the album,
“Torche, High on Fire, Elephant Tree, and The Sword were on heavy rotation a lot. I also was listening to a fair bit of Power Trip at the time too. But as well as the rock/metal stuff, we were listening to Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Radiohead which helped in a way with some of the more spacey & ambient sections on the album.”
Like many recent projects WALL was born during lockdown with the two brothers living together in a small flat. With both of them furloughed, this left the duo with little else to do but write music to distract themselves from the boredom of being stuck at home.
Ryan wrote riffs on an unplugged Gibson SG, whilst Elliot tapped out the drum rhythms on his lap. The first time the twins heard how the songs would sound properly was when they were in the studio tracking their initial first two EPs, as they couldn’t arrange a proper rehearsal due to restrictions.
While originally starting out as a side project, WALL began to evolve into a more serious proposition following shows at Bloodstock Open Air, Desertfest London, Masters of the Riff alongside shows with Discharge, Will Haven and European dates in Germany, Czech Rep & Slovakia.
Now following these shows and 2 Eps on APF Records, the next step for WALL is the release of their debut album ‘Brick By Brick’. Recorded at Shonk studios / Warehouse Studios – Oxford, by Jimmy ‘Evil’ Hetherington & mastered by Tim Turan @ Turan Audio, ‘Brick By Brick’ is essential listening for any fan of slow, crushing riffs.
Tracklisting:
1 – Wrath of the Serpent
2 – Sonic Mass
3 – Obsidian
4 – Legion
5 – Nineteen (Karma to Burn cover)
6 – Avalanche
7 – Masking My Contempt
8 – The Tusk
9 – Speedfreak
10 – Falling from the Edge of Nowhere
11 – Cirrhosis
12 – Filthy Doner Kebab on a Gut Full of Lager
13 – Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath cover)
Recorded & mixed by Jimmy Hetherington at Shonk Studios / Warehouse Studios between 2020 & 2024.
Mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio.
Artwork / layout by Chris Benoist.
Front cover photograph by Pete Marler.
Upcoming Shows –
08.09.24 | UK | London | New Cross Inn
WALL are:
Ryan Cole – guitar
Elliot Cole – drums
