Mountaineer - Passages (2018)

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After catching everybody by surprise with their dreamy 2017 debut, “Sirens & Slumber”, Bay Area’s Mountaineer returns with a more mature and equally aurally pleasing release titled “Passages”. Divided into two four-track sections, this album further expands the band’s dreamy Post-Metal/Post-Rock/Shoegaze sound.

The first movement, “Hymnal”, opens with the very moody and dreamy “Passage I”. The band sets a very light and emotional opening that quickly escalates into Post-Metal territories with lush guitar riffs and the visceral raspy screams of vocalist Miguel Meza. The battle between dreamy and crushing passages reaches its climax as “Passage III” intertwines both styles very skillfully and “Passage IV” slowly winds down a very emotionally intense first part of this release.

“Catacombs: Passage I” takes a darker and a more (early) Les Discretes-like vibe, showcasing the band’s musical range and creativity. Showcasing his endless creativity, guitarist Clayton Bartholomew continues to push into darker and craftier territories with the vibrant “Passage II” and the lush Post-Rock elements of “Passage III”. It all culminates with their impressive “Passage IV”, a track that crosses into heavier and sludgier territories, perfectly bringing the album to completion and leaving us wanting some more.

Overall, “Passages” is a brilliant release that shows that Mountaineer has more than enough skills and ideas to deliver unique music in a very saturated genre(s). If you like aggressive and yet dreamy music that needs more than a few listens to fully digest, look no further and get a copy of this release. We can’t wait to hear were the band takes their sound next, but as of now, they have left us with two very impressive releases that have high replay value and instantly stand out from the reset.

Bands: Mountaineer Album: Passages

Label: LifeForce Records

Release: June 29th, 2018

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Genre: Post-Rock/Shoegaze/Post-Metal

Country: USA

Rating: 94/100
Year: 

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