Post rock is one of my favorite genres, but it’s also a genre that can be very hit or miss. Songs often lack diversity or punch in the genre, and oftentimes I find myself incredibly underwhelmed by entire albums from the genre. But when it hits right? There is absolutely nothing that compares. Ranges is a band from Montana that has been making waves in the scene with 2013, intersplicing beautiful and poignant movements with more visceral and hard hitting moments. Their new single “Abyss” is a great example of this and I was incredibly happy to listen and get to write about it!
“Abyss” pulls no punches from the start, beginning with a heavy guitar tone and crashing drums. The two guitars weave a vibrant melody from the start, crushing you with a straightforward riff. About a minute into the song the heavy ebbs back just a touch, and a cleaner riff rings out over top of the crashing instruments around it. The song continues on that trajectory, slowly replacing the denser moments with more crisp, beautiful guitar parts. The clean interlude just past the two minute mark is a high point for the song, breaking up everything with a vibrant and sonically pleasing break. Slow, sustained notes paint an almost ethereal backdrop to this brief respite all before the full band picks back up with as much force as the beginning.
“Abyss” is a great single, and one that definitely makes me expectant to hear more new music from Ranges. The video accompanying the single is nothing more than a wave, folding at the top and appearing ready to crash down at any moment. It’s the perfect statement to the song. It’s beautiful and welcoming, and you could see it as the background of a computer desktop. But if you know the power of the ocean, you know that wave could wreak havoc upon reaching its destination as well. It’s a perfect mix of luster and potential despair, all wrapped up in one flowing wave.
Ranges has made a great single in “Abyss”, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed gushing about it for a moment! You can find more on Ranges at their official site, or seek out more music on their Bandcamp.
