Explosions In The Sky Fire Up Another Slow Burning Epic On ‘End’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Explosions In The Sky has done exactly that. In a burst of pure musicianship, the band has gone further than most instrumental rock groups can say they’ve gone, racking up a plethora of soundtrack work and formulating a discography filled with timeless classics. The band has garnered a following through grandiose arrangements that span genres and tones all with no sense of urgency. The careful manipulation of their instruments forces their music to be measured but Explosions In The Sky still find ways to make their albums feel loose and warm. Such is the case for End, the band’s seventh studio outing. The album title is not referring to the band itself and thankfully so, Explosions In The Sky continue to expand on their signature sound over the course of seven face-melting tunes. Explosions In The Sky sounds as ambitious as ever on their latest outing, creating instrumentals that allow the most nuanced moments of these dense arrangements to shine in a daring attempt to create music that is vague yet direct in its messaging. 

End comes packaged with just over 45 minutes worth of music packed into a condensed tracklist. This makes this emotional rollercoaster of songs even more palpable, The fact Explosions In The Sky was able to follow a concept without sacrificing what makes the band so great is a true testament to their creative mindstate. These slow-burning instrumentals carry no sense of urgency but rather the excitement and conflict stem from the structure of these songs. Like a trick birthday candle, even the more intimate and sentimental dips in these songs never seem to extinguish the undeniable energy that flows through End. The band uses soft tones that explode in their signature style, and take notes from both tragic ending and happy ones to find the sonic direction of their seventh LP.  

Whether it’s rolling pianos or weeping guitars, Explosions In The Sky knows exactly how to manipulate their instruments to evoke such visceral feelings. The gentle balladry of “Peace or Quiet” boils over to distorted chaos while the intro, “Ten Billion People” follows a bouncy drum pattern to welcome you to End. The unpredictability of these songs stirs up butterflies in your stomach with each passing minute, giving the band the element of surprise backed by years of experience and unfiltered creativity. End feels very cinematic with each crescendo feeling like a plot twist. “All Mountains” features swooning string sections that are quickly juxtaposed by heady drum patterns, every element bleeding over the next for otherworldly textures. 

Explosions In The Sky didn’t miss a step on their first proper release in seven years. End combines the band’s veteran status with their love for soundtracking, except this time around there is no movie to accompany these songs. End feels like the soundtrack to life, placing you as the main character as the band crafts dynamic instrumentals that melt like gold and shine just as bright for their best album in recent memory.