This cult band like to describe their music as 'cathartic mini-symphonies'. It's wholly instrumental, and based around a small set up of guitars, drums, bass, and keys/effects. They don't see themselves as a post-rock band at all, but simply a rock band.

But their music is better defined as post-rock and cinematic, mainly because of the lack of vocals, but also because of the progressive nature of their music that avoids traditional song structures (verse, chorus, middle eight, bridge etc), although they do construct their songs with form in mind. In line with bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Battles, the band's raison d'être is to try and create sound narratives, making emotionally engaging music solely via their instrumental palette, in the same way that classical composers do. In the past, with generally very long pieces that allowed the music to rise and fall, and find a considered path to emotional release – again, like classical pieces – the band have often succeeded in creating richly textured and emotionally engaging sound-scapes, usually a combination of extreme quiet-loud dynamics that post-rockers love so much, and the more evocative slow moving changes in pace, direction and meaning.

Explosions In The Sky's sixth album, The Wilderness, their first non-soundtrack album since 2011's Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, represents a small change of direction for the band. As well as employing the services of an outside producer (John Congleton) for the very first time, they have opted this time to largely create a number of shorter pieces, perhaps a natural result of their increasing soundtrack work. It seems the band have purposefully, but not always, limited the time and scale of the pieces, and therefore allowed themselves less room for more nuanced song development. When on top of their game and the creativity flows sweetly between the various band members, EITS do indeed sound like a sonic catharsis, their sound building around elongated melodic builds and aural climaxes, with a supposedly underlying meaning. Ultimately, it's headphone music, that can also work brilliantly (given the right atmosphere, PA and acoustics) in the 'sonically alive' live arena. But, as a collection of mostly shorter pieces, The Wilderness doesn't always have the same kind of emotional impact their previous albums have had, being a bit more 'bitty' and sometimes lacking their previous compositional fluidity, despite the ongoing visceral moments

With this album, they apparently took the general idea of 'space', with each individual member interpreting that in their own way (outer, mental, geographical etc). Whether or not this translates appropriately is impossible to say, it being totally up to their listener to make their own interpretations and connections. But, it can be safely said that here EITS are relying heavily on a modus operandi that almost invariably involves a quiet beginning, a sudden change of pace and sound, and little motifs strewn across their pieces. It can be a little bit predictable at times.

On opening track Wilderness, EITS, as they do on many of the tracks here, come into view quietly and slowly, this time a little reminiscent of Pink Floyd's epic Echoes, mainly due to the sound of a repeating sonic ping, and the bubbling synth. But while the Floyd would almost invariably provide some context and a change of pace via their singing and the lyrics therein, EITS don't have that as part of their arsenal. A shame, I think. Like the Floyd, who used vocals sparingly in their 71'-77' creative heyday, EITS could perhaps benefit from having them at their disposal on occasion, and maybe this would be one way of dealing with the, dare-I-say-it, sometimes one-dimensional musical constructs. Nevertheless, this is one of the more successful tracks here. Gently coming into view via pulsing synths, shimmering hi-hats and a synth melody line, they morph into a slow and typically majestic four square piece, with far off detonations, mixed with deep orchestral notes.

On 'The Ecstatics', another relatively short track, the initially ambient nature is mixed with a hint of electronics/techno, before the drums come crashing in on a wave of cymbals, before riding on the hi-hat. But again, the band allow the pace to drop quickly, the song drifting out rather aimlessly on the jangle of a guitar. This leads into 'Tangle Formations', which following a short and quiet intro of very simple piano notes and some doctored guitar, is then instantly jolted alive; the pulse faster, and the adrenaline flowing, the same piano notes suddenly louder in the mix, but underpinned by an incessant industrial drum beat and bass guitar rhythms. Then, like so many EITS pieces, there is another part; some of the instruments taken away, new parts added, but usually with a continuing element that reminds you that you are listing to the same song. Here, the beat suddenly morphs into a fast soul-mod stonking groove, the dirty rhythmic bass providing the melody whilst the dual guitars mix of jangle and rhythm effectively colours in the marvellous rhythm section. So far, so (quite) good.

From here things don't gel so well, beginning with the highly experimental 'Logic Of A Dream', the airy bass and guitar intro suddenly upstaged by big, extended and unified band notes, before industrial-tribal drums take over, strings mimicking the sound of a plummeting aircraft, the guitars creating a monotonous dirge. But, then the song almost seamlessly morphs into an incongruously mellow, vaguely pastoral meets Krautrock groove, for no other reason than it sounded good in their heads. Then 'Disintegration Anxiety' begins, mangled and warped, like hearing music through a thick wall, before switching abruptly to arpeggioed bass, and distorted drums, creating a head-nodding funky groove. It's a nice change of pace, but the distortion spoils it, when a cleaner, albeit still grungy sound might have worked better. You feel like you need to clean the needle on your record player.

The quiet intros continue with 'Losing The Light', a generally more ambient, sound effects laden affair that drifts rather aimlessly along for a while, while the less-than-three minutes 'Infinite Orbit' is made up of little more than a frantic, yet robotic drum pattern, a repeating guitar line, and descending chord sequence, that then attempts to fight its way out of the monotony with some crashing chords, before abruptly ending. There's more abruptness, but this time instantaneous, on 'Colours in Space', perhaps the best track here, and the longest, one that has the room to breathe and develop more than any other number. EITS gently trip out on more arpeggio bass, manipulated strings, and dreamy effects, before segueing into a pleasing Sonic Youth style beat that eventually gives way to an intense wall of sound crescendo of strings and electronics. But, it's ather too similar to The Beatle's 'A Day In The Life', made even more so by the exact same device of finishing unexpectedly and with total finality, like the slamming of a door.

On final track, after an extended ambient build up, EITS unlock their laid-back pastoral personas again, the rare sound of an acoustic guitar lending the song that Pink Floyd vibe again, circa 1971.

Overall, The Wilderness is another, albeit semi-successful, foray into progressive, instrumental post-rock music, their cinematic sensibility intact, but sometimes lacking the space for development and the fluidity of their longer pieces of the past. Still, if the acoustics of the Dome in Brighton can handle their forthcoming show, it could well be a beautifully intense aural experience.
Jeff Hemmings

Website: explosionsinthesky.com
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