EP REVIEW: Windowhead – Terrestrials

‘…a true hidden gem of 2025, and one of the must-listen post-hardcore records of the year…’

Based out of Brighton, post-hardcore outfit Windowhead started their life as a bedroom solo project back in 2018. Shortly after the release of their debut record ‘Still Life’, the project evolved into a fully fledged band, and 2021 saw the release of their sophomore album, ‘Sunflowers’.

Now nearly four years later, the band have returned with their brand new EP, ‘Terrestrials’. At four songs and 21 minutes long, this expansive little project sees the band exploring the grunge, shoegaze, and post-rock sounds that influence their sound, and the result is a sweeping, cinematic affair that perfectly balances complexity with emotion.

‘Ex-Terrestrials’ commences with an intricately performed instrumental consisting of sweeping guitar picking layered atop of a 5/4 rhythm, before ferocious, electrifying screams rip through the soundscape. The dual screams in the climax, occupying opposite ends of the register, make for a magnificent experience to behold, especially with the blast beat percussion thundering beneath it all.

‘Cat Insulin’ is a gorgeously sunny yet melancholy affair, with shimmering guitar riffs layered atop of a jagged central melody. The choruses make for a shiver-inducing listen, with the entire track soaring upwards alongside the fantastically harmonised vocals. ‘Todd, Honey’ leans in more of a math-rock direction, with swaying rhythms ushering in complex guitar picking, before switching up to form a surprisingly groovy midpoint, marked by a compelling weaving bass line and jazzy chord progressions.

The EP reaches a truly glorious finale with the explosive and cinematic number ‘I Had To Reach Out And Grab It Before It Disappeared Forever’. A dreamy soundscape of reverb soaked guitars and crashing percussion sprawls forwards beneath fuzzy, screamed vocals, lending the whole affair an immense sense of scale and splendour. How the track keeps this formula and slowly transforms makes for a truly magical listening experience that wholly engulfs the listener.

‘Terrestrials‘ seems certain to be a true hidden gem of 2025, and one of the must-listen post-hardcore records of the year. Windowhead’s seamless blending of genres and influences leads to a sound that is distinctive and enthralling, with the post-rock and grunge influences feeling wholly natural as opposed to shoehorned in; it leads to a release that feels wonderfully relevant within the current alternative space, without sounding at all derivative. For those who like their post-hardcore on the weirder side, this is an essential listen.

RATING: 81/100 – Very Good

For Fans Of: Deafheaven, The Contortionist, Pleiades, Tesseract, Deftones

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify