The Last Days - When the Tomorrow is a Grey Day

Release Date: July 1, 2010
Label: Pest Productions

TRACK LISTING

1.  When the Tomorrow is a Grey Day
2.  Make the Change…
                                 Are Your Last Days
3.  The Time Will Never Come Back
4.  Soul of City
5.  A Vague Look

Total playing time:  29:40

August 14, 2010

Reviewer: M.J.

The Last Days has experienced its fair share of upheaval (start, go, stop, restart - repeat) in trying to solidify a line-up and moving in a forward direction with its own sound. With all of that in the past now, the band has put together an EP as its first release in the form of When the Tomorrow is a Grey Day. The band is a sort of a United Nations with vocalist & lyricist S.A.D. from Mexico, multi-instrumentalist B. hailing from Brazil and Jelena I. from Serbia, who provides background vocals.

When the Tomorrow is a Grey Day is the latest entry in a burgeoning field of post rock/shoegazing black metal that has gained popularity in the last several years. While Neige’s bands Lantlôs, Amesoeurs, and Alcest have led the pack, The Last Days is vying for a spot in the shade alongside them. The trio offers very little in the way of black metal on this EP which is mostly an instrumental affair steeped in melancholic shoegaze/post rock that’s heavily influenced by the bands mentioned above. A fact, the band doesn’t shy away from as it has even gone so far as to cover Amesoeur’s own self titled song (but not included on this EP - currently on their Myspace player).

The opening title track and closing song “A Vague Look” function as intro and outro stressors of the three longer internal tracks. They are nothing more than short atmospheric mantras. Each song on the EP is devoid of a vocal presence except for “Soul of City”, which contains S.A.D.’s black metal inspired screech backed by Jelena’s ethereal vocals. I suppose that it should come as no surprise that “Soul of City” is the most interesting and wholly realized composition. Clocking in at over nine minutes (the longest song on the EP), it is broken up into several parts that freely explore compelling variations of the central theme. These eventually intersect and overlap as the song concludes, making for a memorable and satisfying listening experience. These dynamic tangents, along with the interplay between the instruments and vocals, complement the sense of alienation and cold detachment conveyed in the lyrics.

The other two tracks, “Make the Change… Are Your Last Days” and “The Time Will Never Come Back” have similar personalities with ebb and flow that clearly submit to the meandering lead guitar riff and fail to distinguish themselves from each other to the degree that I would prefer.  While pretty and forlorn, they lack the necessary focus to be more than depressive background soundtracks that wallow in their own sad contentment. Despite my criticism, I still enjoy them within the context of the full EP.

The Last Days show promise and reveal immense potential on When the Tomorrow is a Grey Day. I have my hopes up that they can produce an auspicious full length debut that will turn many heads and place them well within the ranks of Neige’s bands. If they can, then the grey days of tomorrow may all very well be yesterdays.

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