about Closer (December 2007) - back to mediapage

Shady Lane is an unsigned-but-hoping-to-change-that band from the Netherlands. They've been around since 2000, and have just recruited their fourth bandmember. Closer is their third EP, and according to their bio on their myspace, it's their most defined yet: Closer is less complicated than its predecessor; the compositions are further developed, the structure of the songs are clear, and the production is loud but transparent. The experimenting with keyboards resulted in making the songs even more intense.

Among their biggest influences, the band list Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and Tool. You can definitely hear this in their music. Some of the tranquil guitar parts in Omega and the into of Promise remind me of Pearl Jam's Release, the singing and music of Paranoia Search resemble the way Tool songs are constructed. Despite these resemblences, Shady Lane is definitely capable of creating their own sound in the progressive rock niche.

There is only so much you can say about a four-track EP. The best thing to do is to just buy it and listen to it yourself, or go to the band's myspace. Closer is a well produced and well written EP. None of the songs really stands out, but that doesn't mean they're bad! I just can't choose which one I like most. The music is very decent and the band definitely has potential. If you like the earlier mentioned bands, be sure to give these guys a listen! Verdict: I'm very interested in Shady Lane's next releases, and will go catch the band live in January, so expect more reviews!
Imre