Mountainscape smash the sophomore album curse with the spellbinding Iridescent
I’ve written about the dreaded sophomore album before. Do you produce the same album as your first one to keep the hard-won fans on your side? Or do you take a detour into uncharted territory and produce an album full of surprises and the risk of alienating the fans? Or do you double down on the things which resonated with listeners the first time and throw in some curveballs to show you can evolve and to give folk a glimpse of things to come? The last one is usually the best route to follow but in a funny way, the most difficult as it’s a balancing act which most bands fall from.
Not so for Reading-based band Mountainscape. With their sophomore release Iridescent they have crafted an album that will be remembered as a watershed moment in their discography when they truly found their footing. The album showcases a mesmerizing blend of atmospheric depth, intricate instrumentation, and emotional weight that is nothing short of brilliant.
Putting their best foot forward, the album begins with the standout track “Belonging” and it becomes abundantly clear that Mountainscape have honed their craft to perfection. The track’s ethereal intro builds into a powerful crescendo, setting the tone for the album’s journey through peaks and valleys of sound. The band’s ability to seamlessly weave together delicate melodies with crushing heaviness is on full display, creating an immersive experience that is both profoundly moving and intensely gripping. It takes you on not just a short trip, but an odyssey, and fully dispels any notion of the band resting on their laurels.
One of the standout aspects of Iridescent is its dynamic range. Mountainscape navigate the delicate balance between quiet introspection and explosive catharsis with a finesse that shows how confident the band is in their sonic maelstrom. Tracks like “Towering Monoliths” exemplify this, with gradual build-ups leading to moments of sheer sonic euphoria. The band’s mastery of tension and release is evident throughout, keeping you engaged and emotionally invested from start to finish. All this, whilst still remaining a singular vision of themselves and having an unmistakable sound which could have only been produced by them. The monumentally heavy breakdown near the start of the track which then explodes into a torrent of blastbeats and tremolo-picked guitars is especially monumental and should be experienced by everyone with an interest of heavy music, yeah it’s very good!
It would also be remiss of me not to mention mid album track “Atrium” with its tremolo sounding like a tap dancing demon, flitting and sashaying over the remnants of the apocalyptical rhythm section, which pulls the remarkable trick of being somehow fun and terrifying at the same time, it’s rather enchanting to be honest.
The production on Iridescent deserves special mention. The album’s lush soundscapes are brought to life with a clarity and precision that enhances the listening experience. Each instrument is given space to breathe, yet the overall mix remains cohesive and powerful. The result is an album that feels both expansive and intimate, a testament to the meticulous attention to detail that Mountainscape have poured into this release.
On Iridescent, Mountainscape have delivered a work of art that explores the boundaries of Post-Metal. It is an album that demands to be experienced in its entirety, each track a vital cog of the entire machine. Iridescent is a luminous triumph, a testament to the power of music to move, inspire, and transcend. For fans of atmospheric, emotionally charged, heavy instrumental music, this is an essential listen. Mountainscape have crafted an album that is as beautiful as it is powerful.
