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One of life’s sublime ironies is that traumatic events give rise to great art. Rock ‘n’ roll, cathartic by nature and visceral by design, is the ideal medium for cleansing the soul, exorcising the blues and kicking out the jams. Beyond the Fall’s Jason Wilkinson knows this all too well.

Formed in 2007, Beyond the Fall released their indie debut Bright Idea, following it up with a blitzkrieg of incendiary live shows that solidified their ever-growing fan base in North America. Plum spots at events such as VirginFest, Foxfest, New Music West, Molson Canadian House Party, Coors Lite Trauma Tour and Toronto’s North by Northeast proved key to exposing the band to potential fans, as well as media and industry reps. Meanwhile, opening slots for established acts including My Chemical Romance, The Killers, Sum 41, and Billy Talent likewise garnered Beyond the Fall much-deserved attention.

“I love touring,” says Wilkinson. “You can play all you want to your 30 friends in your hometown, but it’s touring that makes you better as a band — it gives you the attitude and the confidence.”

Attracting the attention of Cincinnati, Ohio-based EO Music, Beyond the Fall entered the studio with producer Jeff Dawson (the man behind State of Shock, as well as Daniel Powter’s No. 1 hit, “Bad Day”) and engineer Mike Fraser (who has worked with AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica and Motley Crue, among others). “They understood my vision and we wanted to work together,” says Wilkinson.

Beyond the Fall’s new lineup: English guitarist Phil Bell with Andrew Creed, bassist Kol Incognito and drummer Seamus O'Neill. “When these guys joined,” says Wilkinson, “I already had the image set. I knew how I wanted us to sound, how I wanted us to look and how I wanted us to be. They came onboard loving the fact that there was a specific goal in mind, and it has worked out great.”

As the Vancouver quintet’s founder, songwriter, singer and guitarist, Wilkinson crafted the title tune of the band’s six-song EP, “A Day in the Death Of,” in the wake of a particularly nasty breakup. “Writing is my diary,” he says. “When I write a song, it’s about something I’ve gone through in my life. That song is about the last big fight in a relationship, the one where you say everything you don’t mean. The one when you drop the bomb.”

It is no coincidence that “A Day in the Death Of” uses war metaphors to deliver its message, nor that its immediate impact leaves a lasting impression. Equal parts punk and power pop, the song is thunderous yet melodic; dynamic but relentless. And like the best rock ‘n’ roll, you can sing along to it.

Indeed, the single “Day in the Death Of” has already bent ears at rock and alternative radio. “The course of the band has changed considerably thanks to that one song,” says Wilkinson. “I want the world to hear that song.”