Browsing Tag

Instrumental Rock

Nguyen Hong Hai Channels Lynchian Shadow and Kubrickian Theatre Through Cinematic Piano Rock in The Fall Part 1

Posted on 18 May 2026

Nguyen Hong Hai’s scores are made for cinema; his seminal piano work, The Fall Part 1, envelops the sombre world of Ramin Djawadi, the shadowed tones reverberantly synonymous with David Lynch’s surrealism, and the arresting theatricality of Kubrick’s visual style, all underpinned by the leagues of experience and vision associated with Hans Zimmer.

After an extended prelude of symphonic keys, the instrumental release gradually introduces dusky thrums of bass springs, which echo through the expanse of the production, highlighting it with hues of Americana. Around the midway mark, the composition takes a more orchestral turn before winding into a spiritually absolving feat of slow-burning progressive rock, where classical grandeur, cinematic restraint, and guitar-led intensity move with painterly purpose.

Born in Hanoi in 1969, Nguyen Hong Hai brings the sensibility of a fine art painter specialising in oil and lacquer into his musical language. After years immersed in classical, rock, and metal music, he began studying theory and composition in 2023, earning recognition across international competitions, including awards for The Fall Part 1. The piece also feeds into his wider Mother Earth cycle, giving the track a mythic scale rooted in natural transition, visual imagination, and emotional descent.

The Fall Part 1 is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mondrian’s Alt Indie Rock Instrumental, B1, Slashes Through Post-Rock Psychedelia, Tension and Cathartic Euphoria

Posted on 11 May 2026

Alt indie rock scintillation awaits anyone who hits play on the seminal release, B1, by Mondrian. The metronomic beat in the intro might have you bracing for an amateur lo-fi earache, but what follows in the first verse is a synthesis of classic rock guitar chops slashing their way through Pixies-esque atmospheric euphoria, hints of Grandaddy in the keys, and the Beatles in their psychedelic era with the sitars. Mondrian knits it all together in this homage to rock and indie history.

Though it may be void of lyricism and vocal evocation, B1 isn’t lacking in emotional expression, especially when the instrumental piece arrives at a sermonic sequence of progressive post-rock, but it’s not long before the independent artist switches gear once again, with fret mastery a major part of the alchemy in this medley. If you love hearing how gifted artists can efficaciously manipulate tension, catharsis and emotional transpositions, Mondrian is more than deserving of a spot on your radar.

Founded in Buenos Aires in 2020 by Matias Jimenez, Mondrian operates as an indie electronica project with Jimenez writing, performing, producing and engineering the material from his own De Stijl Studios.

B1 arrived ahead of the January 2026 debut album, 2020–2025, a five-track set shaped by obsessions with drones, minimalism, pop art, musical organisation, world music and krautrock.

B1 is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alex Haines summoned cinematic wrath and melodic metal tension in Look Up

Posted on 26 October 2025

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and melodic metal hath no cinematic intensity like Alex Haines’ discography. While the NYC-based singer-songwriter is renowned for the visceralism in her vocals and her instrumental arrangements alike, her 2021 album The Instrumental Sessions proves her music still hits just as hard when her voice retreats to let the sonic architecture speak for itself.

The standout single, Look Up – Instrumental Version, explores the murky intersection between blockbuster scores and the moody, unreckonable tension of melodic metal. It delivers a soundtrack that doesn’t drag you along for the ride, but submerges you in it. The opulence of the crescendos engulfs the senses in a luxuriantly raw sense of reckoning, while the Skunk Anansie-style hooks and the tide of grungy, dark distortion keep the piece anchored in emotional intuition. It kicks with catharsis, without having to utter a word.

Where some instrumental tracks feel like placeholders for what’s missing, Look Up makes no such compromise. The conviction radiates through the composition, from the piano lines that shimmer with wounded elegance to the weight of the growling guitars crashing beneath them. There’s no breathing room, only release.

After experimenting with bands and deciding to self-produce, Alex Haines has crafted a sonic world entirely of her own making. Her orchestrations draw from classical techniques, metal fundamentals, and emotional exorcism, all while hinting at what her upcoming EP The Rain on Your Parade, may unleash.

Look Up – Instrumental Version is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fuzz to Ferocity: Mykel Fate’s Garage Meditation in ‘Again and Again

Posted on 8 July 2025

In Mykel Fate’s latest release, Again and Again, you are instantly confronted with a guitarist who refuses to play by the script. Mykel grinds pure innovation into every rock-soaked groove, carving out space where fuzz and fretboard prowling replace any hollow grandiosity. The lo-fi textures feel as if they’ve been rescued from the heyday of 90s alt-rock demos and pressed straight into present day, ready to appease the eardrums of anyone craving authentic, unfussy rock.

Instead of leaning on excessive production, Mykel Fate lets the strings do the talking. There’s a rare physicality to the riffs, each note hitting the senses with a satisfying thump before the entire track dissolves into a frenetically fierce solo—honestly, it’s guitar porn for the heads who know. The narrative of cyclical monotony drifts with minimalist intent, folding you into the haze until the instrumental meditation sweeps you away. The track never asks anything from the listener; it simply gives, again and again, with every passage.

Born and raised in Jersey, Mykel Fate is determined to bring rock’s raw heart back, wrestling with hardship and connection through every riff. With nods to AC/DC, The Beatles, and the unvarnished power of 90s rock, he’s pushing guitar music into uncharted territory, one note at a time.

Again and Again is now available on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Third Man Syndrome Set ‘Ikarus’ Ablaze with Frenetic Post-Rock Progressions

Posted on 23 May 2025

If you’re in danger of flying too close to the sun, slip into the latest progressive post-rock release, Ikarus, by Third Man Syndrome. The epic aural chronicle uses the chill of frenetic, angular, post-punk adjacent guitars to bring you back down to earth before building cinematic euphony around the progressions, lending melodicism to the release that is always waiting to flip the switch and launch you into a white hot classic guitar riff, a momentous tide of fervent energy, and whatever the soundscape demands of Third Man Syndrome to bring the saga back to life in the form of an instrumental alt-rock firestorm.

Third Man Syndrome was born from an Austrian artist’s renewed devotion to music after time away to focus on family, pouring years of reflection into the strings. Every motif in Ikarus is sculpted with purpose—balancing tension, ambition, and catharsis. The fretwork orbits myth, burning with the risk and release of flight, pushing and pulling through restless crescendos and abrupt plunges. With every passage, the track demands surrender to the drama of soaring and falling, capturing the mythos of Icarus in full instrumental form.

‘Ikarus’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mercy Vibe alchemically occupied the rock scene with her instrumental track, Peaceful Med

Posted on 5 September 2024

Mercy Vibe may be a nascent presence on the rock scene, but her seminal instrumental single, Peaceful Med, established her as an artist worthy of adoration.

The Midwest-originating artist’s background in traversing genres and her adventurous approach to music production pull through with veracity in this track, which subverts conventional guitar-led instrumental pieces by defying expectations with cultivated use of special effects. You could hear a pin drop in the production which creates a palpable tension and anticipation for each successive note.

Mercy Vibe doesn’t just set a mood with her work, she commands it with the guitars which act as a narrative force in the expansive sonic space. Yet, it is the percussion that truly energises the track, delivering bursts of intensity that ensure the listener’s engagement never wanes.

With Peaceful Med, Mercy Vibe made it clear she is here to innovate and inspire. Save a space on your radar for her future releases which are in the pipeline.

Stream Peaceful Med on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BlueMelt’s ‘Stardust on Your Dress’: A Nostalgic Riff-Laden Reverie

Posted on 27 January 2024

BlueMelt, spearheaded by the adept London-based Vito Tardia, has unleashed a sonic tempest with their latest single, “Stardust on Your Dress.” For anyone who kneels at the altar of rock, the track is a rite of passage. From the first note, you’re plunged into a whirlpool of nostalgia, driven by a lead guitar that dances with a fiery passion through the overdriven amplification.

The release masterfully blends the soul of classic blues with the grit of modern rock, creating a sound that is both raw and refined. The garagey texture of the track adds a layer of authenticity, a nod to the unpolished gems of rock’s golden era. As the guitar solos soar, they paint a vivid picture while the technical precision becomes a testament to Tardia’s skill and dedication to his craft. Each note is meticulously placed, yet there’s an underlying wildness that can’t be tamed.

Stardust on Your Dress is a journey back to the roots of rock, yet it propels the listener forward, hinting at the boundless potential of BlueMelt’s future endeavours. This track is a must-listen, not just for rock aficionados but for anyone seeking a taste of musical fervour that’s both nostalgic and exhilarating.

Stardust on Your Dress will officially release on January 26; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Every Progression is a Prog-Rock Revelation in Tempus Cucumis’ Single, It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today

Posted on 22 January 2024

With their seventh album, Rêves, the progressive rock duo, Tempus Cucumis, exhibited how innovation can drive classic rock forward, not as a separation of what came before, but a sublime continuum you can follow and lose yourself within. With those classic rock cuts reconfigured into tantalising time signatures which teach you to predict the unpredictable with each progression, you hand over all sense of control to the cohesive coalescence of talents from Jeroen De Brauwer (guitars, drums, composition) and Lukas Huisman (keys, production).

The seminal single, It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today, uses timbres hotter than the tarmac on the Sunset Strip in July to pay an ode to the capacity of sun rays to salve the spectrum of human tribulation, which may sound like a stretch until you remember that, for the most part, we have the same basic requirements as a house plant, beyond the complexities our autonomy bestows on us. With twists and turns amidst the ebbing and flowing momentum, you can’t help but strap yourself in for the ride and succumb to every new corner the track meanders around, exposing an even more breathtaking sonic scene.

It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of the 9-track LP, Rêves.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grab a seat at the table for Tuncratio’s atmospheric alt-rock instrumental, Feast of Nothing

Posted on 26 December 2022

There’s something in the atmosphere of Tuncratio’s seminal instrumental alt-rock single, Feast of Nothing. The intro instrumental framework threw me right back to when Alexisonfire was a prized possession in my CD collection. Feast of Nothing then progresses into a deeply evocative melodic piece with complex time signatures that compel you to lean deeper into the alluring sonic mise en scene that cinematically wraps up through a cinematically orchestral outro.

The Italian-born, Scottish-by-adaption multi-instrumentalist and producer entered the music industry in the early 2000s. Not one to feel sated in the confines of one genre, his music spans across multiple, often in the space of one track. In his eclectic range of influences, Smashing Pumpkins, Mogwai and Deftones often push to the forefront in his sonic signature scribbled across his discography. Tuncratio’s back catalogue currently consists of two LPS, two mixtapes and the EP, Elephant in the Room, from which Feast of Nothing was taken.

Feast of Nothing was officially released on December 12th; catch it on Spotify. Stay tuned for Tuncratio’s upcoming

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drench Yourself in the Tonal Bliss of Robbie Lackey’s Single ‘Atoms’

Posted on 19 October 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-eeChHz0XQ

Taken from his first solo instrumental album, Surrender with a Smile, which is due for release on October 22nd, Robbie Lackey’s standout single, Atoms, outlays ambient melodies that absorb you through their intricacy and ability to transplant you into a far spacier realm.

Painting all across the tonal spectrum in vivid yet euphonous colour, the Columbia Falls, MT-hailing musician and producer leads you on a psychonautic road trip that you’ll want to embark on time and time again for the cathartic escapism. With the rising cost of fuel prices, it’s probably best to stay inside and take trips of the mind, led by one of the most tonally-gifted guitarists of our time. His 20 years of playing guitar clearly paid off in Atoms; if we still lauded guitarists as much as Prince and Hendrix, teenagers would have Lackey’s poster on their bedroom walls.

Check out Robbie Lackey’s latest single, Atoms, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast