Post-rock, beautiful and captivating though it may be, can be a bit predictable. The earth will always travel round the sun, metal fans will always love arguing on the internet, and post-rock bands will always have long songs with drawn out, gently-drummed quiet sections that gradually build into massive crescendos via mid-paced snare build-ups. So it is, and so it always has been.
Coldbones are looking to shake that up by making a post-rock record that doesn’t skimp on the ‘rock’. Opener ‘Caspaces’ wastes no time with layer-building and instead comes straight at the listener with everything it has. Rich, textured guitars sweep over galloping drums, ending abruptly before it can cause a full sensory overload. The relative brevity of the track, and several others on the record, gives it a sense of purpose and makes a huge statement about the band’s mission: to make post-rock get to the point.
There’s a palpable density to every song on ‘Where It All Began’. You could definitely use the word ‘heavy’ to describe Coldbones, but it’s never gratuitous; it never verges into metal territory. Instead, the band use snappy drum fills and thick distorted guitars to break up the more ambient, delay-drenched sections with solid, punchy riffs.
Another thing Coldbones have done extremely well on this record is create catchy, truly memorable hooks despite a total lack of vocals. Listeners will unavoidably find themselves humming the main hook from thunderous album highlight ‘New Heights’ after a single listen, and the sexy lead lick in ‘Cycle’ will also definitely find its way into a few cerebellums.
‘Where It All Began’ is a stunning release, and a genuinely exciting debut. It channels all the best elements of the genre: impact, texture and atmosphere, without a single moment of filler. No riff or melody outstays its welcome, instead the band have mastered the art of keeping things new and fresh as each track progresses. This energy, urgency and unwillingness to bend to genre tropes could easily see Coldbones rise through the ranks to become one of the leading names in instrumental music.
LIAM KNOWLES