“End,” the new album by EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, was inspired by darkness, but became a loud, dramatic, wild rumination on life and death. “Our starting point was the concept of an ending—death, or the end of a friendship or relationship. Every song comes from a story, or an idea one of us has had that we’ve all expanded on and made its own world. Maybe it’s our nature, but we kept feeling that the album title was ultimately open to a lot more interpretation—the end of a thing or a time can mean a stop, but it can also mean a beginning, and what happens after one thing ends might pale in comparison to what it becomes next,” says the band about the album. It has seven songs.

“Ten Billion People” is first. The opening tones have an electronic edge to them, and are jovial, like a warm ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. It builds and retracts a couple of times, with a steady, marching drumbeat. The guitar tones are so EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, and you would know them anywhere. “Moving On” is another beauty with bright and hopeful tones. One stalwart feature of the band’s sound is evident here…the way that they straddle both somber tones and tones that can give a person inner strength.

“Loved Ones” is more pensive, and thoughtful, giving the listener a chance to reflect. The simple piano notes lend a richness to the song, like the taste of dark chocolate. Coming full circle towards the end, the sonority reaches a breaking point, before dying peacefully. “Peace or Quiet” is a bass led song that features soft, delicate melodies, and peace is what comes to my mind when listening to it. Perhaps also, the promise of a better future, or the mind to recount the things in my life that are good. Something about this song just puts a smile on my face. A big, chunky riff caps off the sound, pushing the song into the heavens.

“All Mountains” has majestic tones from the stirring synthesis between guitars, bass and keys, climbing higher and higher as it moves along. I get the sense of the sudden warmth that you feel when you pass a stranger that you think you know. “The Fight” is something we all face, and insert your most feared opponent. At first, the thought of facing it feels daunting…even overwhelming, But, the calculated notes in the song can give you the strength that you need, if you can follow them to victory. “It’s Never Going to Stop” closes the album. Charming piano notes carry the melody. It has a slow build, and the flame gets stronger. You get lost in the beautiful melodies, especially the piano notes, and the length gives you time to pause.

The quandary with the album is that you really don’t know if this is the end, or a beginning. Indeed, in many ways, it doesn’t matter, because they are one in the same. As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” What this saying doesn’t tell you however is that with each new end, come a new beginning, and EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY tell that gracefully with “End.” Think of the possibilities, cast aside your doubts, and take the proper steps. Although life can give you chains, they are all breakable. That kind of hope is what I get from this album.