On vinyl, Mountainscape's Iridescent hits like a seismic pulse

Mountainscape – Iridescent

Released: June 7, 2024

Vinyl released: August 2025

Dan Scrivener - Guitars

Ethan Bishop - Bass

James Scrivener - Drums

Mountainscape have been on my radar ever since I listened to the first two minutes of a track called Awakening, from the bands 2022 album Atoms Unfurling. It was a random Bandcamp stroll through genres which unearthed this diamond in the rough, and ever since then I have been following and admiring the bands growth and evolution through sound and creativity. Of course, managing to catch them performing live on two separate occasions has only heightened and amplified my admiration for the band, but at the end of the day, great music, irrespective of style or genre will always stand out, and such is the case with this trio from Reading.

Mountainscape aren’t interested in half measures when it comes to creating music, the band are all-in! On Iridescent, the UK powerhouse push their instrumental post-metal style to widescreen proportions, crafting five tracks that pulverize and devastate the listener to the point where it feels like some kind of unforeseen seismic even is taking places. The band manage to conjure soundscapes that feel both cosmic and deeply human, blending post-rock textures, metallic weight, and post-black fury into something that’s bordering on extremes but altogether deeply enveloping.

The opener, Belonging sets the tone with its dreamy, drifting guitars that stretch out like mist on across the moors, before the ground finally caves in under blast beats and vicious walls of weighted riffs. It’s a track that plays tug-of-war between vulnerability and brute force, and through that mayhem, it becomes a beautiful place to find yourself in, even after just one track! Next up is the track Towering Monoliths, and if there was ever a mission statement for an album, it would have to be this track. With nearly ten minutes of glacial riffs and shifting moods, Towering Monoliths grows from a doom-laden crawl into something monumental and relentless. The title doesn’t lie here, this is herculean in sound, and absolutely crushing in its delivery.

Astrium is the shortest track on the album, but it’s no less potent, Astrium finds power in repetition. A looping, trance-like riff forms the spine of the track while drums evolve underneath, building pressure until it breaks open in a surge of unmeasured release. It’s a track that proves that bands as heavy as Mountainscape can be hypnotic without ever losing their bite. At nearly eleven minutes, Ignis is the album’s centerpiece and its most ambitious statement. The slow-burn intro is all tension and atmosphere, and when it finally ignites, the payoff is enormous. Massive riffs crashing down like waves, with swirls of melody cut through the chaos. It’s a sprawling but focused piece of music and really showcases all that Mountainscape can achieve.

The closer, and title track, Iridescent is both a summary and a send off. Heavy as fuck, yes, but more radiant than brutal.  It threads the line brilliantly between bright melodic lines and dense, turbulent layers. As the track ascends to its epilogue, it leaves a trail of shimmering echoes in its wake, and a feeling that this album was worth the wait in finally receiving that vinyl press!

With Iridescent, Mountainscape have stepped it up yet again. Iridescent is an album that balances power and emotion beautifully, and it’s an album where the atmosphere doesn’t soften the blows, but actually makes them land harder. Mountainscape prove once again that instrumental metal just needs a vision, and in that respect they’ve delivered it in spades. Heavy, hypnotic, and cinematic, Iridescent is the sound of a band hitting their stride and looking far beyond the horizon.

Iridescent | Mountainscape