Ropes Inside a Hole took some time after their split EP with Postvorta to review and focus on different elements of their music, and as you will see in our latest premiere today, this has paid dividends. Ropes Inside a Hole, or RIAH for short, are a Swedish/Italian post-rock/metal collective, with a focus on delivering thought-provoking and grandiose tracks. Since releasing their debut album Autumnalia and the aforementioned RIAHPSTVRT split, the band made the decision to craft more melody into their tracks, with the opening section of the premiere track “Distance” highlighting this successful new approach.
The track starts off slow and forlorn, building on bleak, darkened images in the video accompanying the track. The haunting atmosphere is complimented by the next addition to the band’s sound: the dreamy, gazey vocals of Daniel Loefgren, who you might know from Suffocate For Fuck Sake. Daniel has become to band’s official lead singer, and he is a perfect fit. The other change? Bringing in cellist Francesco ‘Fresco’ Cellini helped to build out the depth of the song, too, and many tracks in the upcoming album see his contributions on them as well.
Stretching over seven minutes, the track ambles its way forwards, really showcasing the band’s new and improved sound, not forcing the heaviness on the listener ’til the final quarter of the song. When it comes, it is bloody delightful and nicely weighted – not so heavy as to destroy the earlier layers altogether, but heavy enough to swallow you in a thick and inviting distorted blanket of sound.
The video is quite mesmerising too, fitting the song nicely. The band had this to say:
‘This video is a melting pot for the clear and pure footages shot by Yaroslav Shuraev, and the gloomy and beautiful art of Domenico Commito, that we think that perfectly represents the songs mood.‘
And without further ado, here it is!
“Distance” is the first single from RIAH‘s upcoming album A Man and His Nature, releasing January 24, 2023. It’ll be released on Voice of the Unheard and Shove Records, so make sure to check the socials below to ensure you’re getting your copy in the right region.
