Bantar is a four piece instrumental prog-rock band from The Netherlands. Following three musicians started up the band; Martijn Weyburg (guitars, bass and keyboards), Frank Weijers (guitars and bass), Marcel van der Graaf (drums), and late arrival of the fourth member, Marcel van Deursen (bass). Irrespective of the fact that This Heat Is Exhausting is their debut full-length, these guys are no strangers to the music scene as they have played together in Semistereo band.

What we can hear on this eight-tracker long-player then? This Heat Is Exhausting is ‘a collection of self-produced instrumental post rock tracks to soothe your soul in troublesome times’. In other words; it’s a piece of instrumental post-rock that is both loud and gentle, yet cinematically melancholic and groove-drenched.

Track listing:

01. We’re Not There Yet
02. I Am Tired Of This Mountain
03. White Drone
04. A Sense Of Purpose
05. The Wrestler
06. Into The Rabbit Hole
07. Muchos Problemas
08. Love Drugs Not War

My album favourites are eight-minute long, “I Am Tired Of This Montain” (listen below), being the first track which slowly and gradually build-up and transforms into an elevation of great scope. Of other songs I will briefly just mention “A Sense Of Purpose”, where one can hear discreet electronic touches with accompanying melancholic guitars touches. Finally, “Muchos Problemas” because the band reaches its emotional heights here, with nice and dramatic atmosphere.

Musically, the traces of their previous band (Semistereo) are still audible, but overall the trio is breaking new ground with This Heat Is Exhausting. Thus, Bantar’s debut album is definitely a fine piece of work, where these guys managed to create an album that is coherent and with some interesting compositions, while they remain faithful to a high quality standards, both in terms of instrumental execution and song-writing skills.

Listening to this album multiple times now I still get the same feeling of being on a journey through mystical and evocative soundscapes and majestic atmosphere. The music is influenced by bands like Mogwai, Isis, Russian Circles, Mono, Pelican and similar progressive and experimental bands. Don’t hesitate to give this fine post-rock debut from The Netherlands a chance, and if you require any further information on this particular debut release, please feel free to visit https://bantar.bandcamp.com/album/this-heat-is-exhausting