Post-Rock: 1167 - Gray (2024)

74 / 100

A concise, mood-driven EP that balances weight and atmosphere, though still somewhat restrained in variety.

Emerging as an almost anonymous entity, 1167 has been resonating in the post-rock scene since their 2022 full-length Oranje. That debut reflected the band’s simplicity, right down to the plain orange album cover. Their second release, Gray, arrived in November 2024 as a four-track EP.

This time, 1167 shifted their musical palette to match the EP’s title and cover art—a colder, greyer tone. Thick, abrasive guitar work pushes the sound toward post-rock with an evident metallic edge, most notably in “Onyx” and “Charcoal.” Meanwhile, “Steel” delivers a more modern feel, and “Chrome” drifts in a shimmering, floating atmosphere that ties the four songs together.

Structurally, “Onyx” opens the record with a distinctive double-peak dynamic, while the rest lean into slow-burn crescendos that building emotional weight through melancholic picking until about the three-quarter mark, especially in “Chrome.” Electronic touches appear in “Charcoal,” while “Steel” features palm-muted riffs for added texture.

Post-rock’s instrumental nature often makes bands hard to distinguish, but Gray stands out enough to earn a strong recommendation for fans of Pelican, Russian Circles, and Caspian. Personally, the standout tracks are “Steel” and “Chrome” because of the strong atmosphere or melancholy within both.

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