Ranges - Sin

Sin is purportedly inspired by the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins with each track representative of one of those iniquities. You would be, well, forgiven for not guessing this inspiration behind the record as this is an album of quite stunning cascading post-rock that seems more emblematic of the epic mountainous vistas of the band’s native Montana. Sin comprises 40 minutes of emotionally driven, engagingly sculpted instrumental tracks and is impressively bereft of anything approaching filler.

Sin is highly redolent of the high-tide mark of instrumental post rock / post metal in the mid-late 2000s when scene luminaries such as Red Sparrowes, If These Trees Could Talk, This Will Destroy You, Caspian, or perhaps Mogwai and many other beardy thoughtful types released cinematic rock classics. Certainly, the song structures on Sin broadly fit the vintage post rock template where hushed lulls precede incremental builds that lead into soaring, glacial swells. This is a well-worn blueprint made famous by the aforementioned purveyors around 15 years’ ago and it’s a format often disparaged by music critics with trendy glasses for being predictable or derivative.

This matters little, however, by the sheer quality of Ranges’ latest release which is a display of riveting post rock par excellence. The record is abundant with cinematic tension, scaled-up reflection and high-altitude guitar hooks. If you like wide-screen powerful instrumental rock, then Sin will satisfy your transcendental needs. Opener, The Falcon Cannot Hear the Falconer could be a distant cousin of Mogwai’s I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead from their Mr Beast era with whispered, thoughtful plucks that blossom gradually into insistent, concussive squalls of guitar. A similar pattern is used in the stunning soaring, ozone layer leads on Their Eyes Sewn Shut and Bound to the Black Wind. The emotional punches rolled out are ceaseless and Three Throats is reminiscent of the lush, mountainous drama of Caspian circa Tertia. The sweeping, existential crests of the closer, Idle Hands is a truly luminous, towering rock moment to conclude the album.

As is often the case with this form of music the softer, hushed, patient moments are as profound as the deafening tidal waves and sweeping riffs. There is rich layering and interplay giving a sense of colossal perspective though with, what seems like, a fairly regular rock band set up. Yes, you can see the incremental rises in each track coming from the other side of the ocean, but Ranges are top tier peddlers of high-emotional, immersive wordless drama.

Here is a link to Ranges’ bandcamp: https://ranges.bandcamp.com/music