The amount of negativity that the genre of metal has can sometimes get real weary every now and then, and sometimes a change of pace is needed. That’s how I felt today when I simply couldn’t find anything heavy that caught my eye, so to the wide world of rock is where I turned to. And like most of my excursions there, I was somehow brought to the instrumental part of the world yet again, and on this trip I discovered a surprise from the Philippines that was just what I was looking for.

I don’t know exactly what it is about instrumental rock that I’m almost always led to, but I simply can’t get enough of it because it works so well! Post-rock is especially true to that fact, and it’s with acts like tide/edit that we’re given a side of the style that’s incredibly uplifting. A lot of the music I listen to isn’t very uplifting or airy or anything like that, and it’s not out of an active effort to accomplish that, so I wanted a real pallet-cleanser that was something I could really sink my teeth into. With just the first track alone, tide/edit achieves all I look for in quality instrumental rock, and with the following eleven tracks these guys prove with “All My Friends” that they know exactly what they’re doing. Whereas plenty instrumental rock acts go for the riffs to keep us interested, tide/edit keeps true to the idea of post-rock by keeping things real ethereal and atmospheric throughout every track of “All My Friends” to the point where the whole of the album truly feels as though you’re amongst the clouds. Then there’s the simple matter that tide/edit is so hypnotic and entertaining that one spin of the album simply isn’t enough so soaking yourself back in the glory that is “All My Friends” is an absolute must if you’re going to experience the album properly.

The whole of the album is a real tour de-force of what post rock can be capable of, and even then yet another testament to the power that instrumental works can have. The Philippines haven’t exactly been a real hotspot for quality acts in my experience, but I can see tide/edit being the band that changes that for me. Without a doubt, “All My Friends” is a tremendous record that every fan of the style should hear and bear witness to no matter what.

LISTEN to “All My Friends” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE tide/edit on Facebook here.

FOLLOW tide/edit on Twitter: @tideeditmusic