These days it seems that for every band out there, another instrumental band comes out with an album or something along those lines. When I was younger I used to love instrumentals to death but my lack of resources and knowledge of how to source out new music has kept me in this bubble filled with vocals. Though this past year has opened up a lot of doors for me and I have really expanded my love for instrumental music. It has always been a part of my life too. I used to listen to Metallica‘s “Orion” on repeat for hours. Songs like “Ashes of the Wake” by  Lamb of God and other oddities like “Spanish Fly” by Van Halen have always been standout tracks that I listened to more then the punk and generic rock I was into at the time.

Now I have expanded my love for instrumental music due to an immense plethora of outstanding musicians releasing quality instrumental albums. Bands like Animals as Leaders and Scale the Summit have impacted me in a big way, so here are five of my favorite instrumental albums.

5. Protest the Hero – Fortress (Instrumental Version)

It would be criminal not to include this gem. Rody Walker provides some of the most memorable vocal hooks on Fortress and steals the show in some aspects – but Fortress works remarkably well as an instrumental album too. It moves the focus and you get to hear the songs in a different context. I am not going to go so far to say that the vocals shadow the bands talent, but the instruments here tell their own story too, and contrary to what you might expect it doesn’t feel too shreddy and is very modest as the songs were written with the vocals in mind. It is just riffs, hooks, shred and well composed songs; not too over the top, but with the same amount of punch you expect from a band like Protest the Hero. The lack of vocals bring out some of the best in the band too, like the completely underrated keys and sexy bass, and after hearing it the context of both versions became more important.

4. Cloudkicker – Portmanteau

Clocking in at just 20 minutes, Portmanteau goes above and beyond what one would expect from your typical shred album. Portmanteau creates atmosphere. Though it is faster and catchier than most of Ben Sharp’s releases, it maintains that sometimes composition triumphs technical ability. He uses a very unique mixing technique that allow several layers and melodies to be a part of the music without making it too crowded. There are always three or four things going on at one time, yet it manages to sound dense without being a bunch of noise: at some points you will have chords strumming through a progression in the back of the mix alongside another line of atmospheric keys. It will have all of that happening behind the drums and lead guitar melody. It works beautifully too because all of the aspects compliment each other and focus on what is important throughout the composition. This album is also one of the first instrumental albums I had ever listened to, so it has added sentiment there; it is just something I can immerse myself in.

View Full Article »