The Best Instrumental Bands of the Last 20 Years

Like what happens when one sense is compromised and the other senses become heightened, bands that forgo the use of a lead singer and lyrics can sometimes capture the emotion of music better than more traditional bands. Here is a list of bands that have made an impression on the world of instrumental rock music by extracting all the emotion from the genre and leaving all of the words behind.

Animals as Leaders

Following guitarist Tosin Abasi's previous metalcore band Reflux, instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders formed in 2007 after Abasi had taken a year off to study music, striving for peak guitar-playing ability. With the aid of eight-string guitarist Javier Reyes, Animals as Leaders incorporates elements of jazz and funk into its metal fusion without the need of a bass player.

Chon

Chon may include vocal performances on some of its tracks, but for 15 years, the band was prominently an instrumental math rock group. The band went on hiatus in 2022, leaving behind three albums, two EPs and a collection of demos, each work showcasing the band’s strength in playing complex harmonies with strange time signatures. The band also experimented with electronic elements on its second album, Homey, before returning to its roots on its last, self-titled album.

Polyphia

Born in Plano in 2010, Polyphia is an instrumental rock band that has found a home on stages with metalcore bands such as Between the Buried and Me and August Burns Red. Though the band started in the metal world, it has grown to fuse its music together with hip-hop, pop and EDM. In 2022, the band released "Ego Death,” which features an appearance from the legendary guitarist Steve Vai.

Intervals

Canadian progressive metal band Intervals has been the project of guitarist Aaron Marshall, who became the band’s only remaining original member after the release of its first album, A Voice Within. Since 2015, Marshall and a rotating cast of musicians have made a name in the djent subgenre of progressive metal, which makes use of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings to make a “djent” sound on the guitar.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor formed in Quebec in 1994. Part of the band’s decision to remain strictly instrumental stems from its deep anticapitalist sentiment that rejects selfish individualism. The band is also known for allowing fans to record its live performance. In this way, much of the band’s new music can be heard before it is ever recorded.

Russian Circles

A post-metal band formed in Chicago in 2007, Russian Circles takes the darkness and intensity of death metal and amplifies its atmosphere and emotion. A three-man-band, Russian Circles has released eight albums that are all short on track listing and long on track length, each one exploring just how deep doom can go.

Caspian

Post-rock band Caspian formed as more of a collective than a traditional band in Beverly, Massachusetts, taking different shapes from 2003 until it finally settled on a lineup in 2005. While many instrumental bands stick closely to progressive rock and metal, Caspian has more of an indie-rock vibe, making use of keyboards, synthesizers and a pedal steel guitar.

Explosions in the Sky

Austin’s Explosions in the Sky got together at the turn of the century, and it has been living up to its name ever since. Known for its explosive live performances and its deeply emotional rock music, Explosions in the Sky has been asked to headline festivals and score soundtrack, like its Big Bend (An Original Soundtrack for Public Television), which perfectly captures the texture and atmosphere of the National Park.

Mogwai

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Mogwai began making music in 1995, taking the post-rock genre into outer space. Known for performing some of the loudest and most laser-lit rock shows, Mogwai’s music isn’t just something you listen to, it’s something you experience. The band’s most recent album, As the Love Continues, was nominated for the Mercury Prize, which honors the best of British music, and won the 2021 Scottish Album of the Year Award.