Nowruz marks the beginning of the Persian New Year, a moment of renewal, reflection, and quiet hope. We’re a few days late sharing this, and honestly, it’s been difficult to find the right words, especially not being able to reach out and send a simple Nowruz greeting to family. This felt like the only meaningful way to say something. This year, it arrives under the shadow of war, with many Iranians stepping into it with uncertainty and far from any sense of normal life. At the same time, widespread internet disruptions have made it difficult to stay connected, cutting people off from the outside world and even from each other. And yet, even in all of this, music continues. It always finds a way.
Today, we want to highlight a few post-rock artists from Iran. This is only a small glimpse into a much deeper and often overlooked scene, but it’s a starting point.
Across The Waves
Across The Waves is a Tehran-born ambient, post-rock, and shoegaze project formed in 2010. Their sound is built around melodic bass lines, layered atmospheric guitars, and emotionally charged crescendos that move between delicate ambience and heavy, distortion-driven climaxes. Drawing influence from bands like If These Trees Could Talk, Mogwai, and Mono, they create a sound that feels both expansive and deeply personal, balancing clarity with intensity.
AtonalitA
AtonalitA is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Siamak Ghorbanian Aghdam. With a background in classical music and experience performing in symphonic orchestras, the project bridges that foundation with a strong connection to post-rock. The result is a fusion of structured, classical sensibilities with the openness and texture of post-rock, creating compositions that feel both precise and exploratory.
Crows in the Rain
Crows in the Rain stands as one of Iran’s most influential instrumental post-rock projects. Known for their cinematic soundscapes and emotionally driven compositions, their music blends melancholic melodies with expansive atmospheric layers. Their work often moves between quiet introspection and sweeping, dramatic crescendos, creating immersive narratives that feel almost visual in nature.
We Feel The End
We Feel The End is an independent solo project from Tehran, active since 2022. The project focuses on exploring sound, atmosphere, and emotion through experimentation. Rooted in personal experience, the music leans into subtle textures and evolving moods, creating an intimate and reflective listening experience that feels raw and honest.
Rusted Doors
Rusted Doors is an Iranian instrumental post-rock and post-metal project known for its dark atmospheres and slow-building intensity. Their music blends cinematic ambience with heavy, doom-leaning crescendos, creating soundscapes that feel both intimate and overwhelming. Tracks like Collapsing showcase their ability to balance delicate melancholy with crushing sonic weight, forming a narrative-driven experience rooted in isolation, memory, and reflection.
Route71
Route71 is an experimental post-rock band formed in 2013 in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Their sound blends elements of ambient, psychedelic, and post-metal, resulting in instrumental compositions that shift between texture and structure. There’s a sense of exploration in their music, moving fluidly between atmosphere and intensity while maintaining a distinct identity.
We know this is only a small selection, and there are many more artists out there who deserve to be heard. If you know Iranian post-rock bands, feel free to reach out and let us know.
You can explore these artists and more on Post-Rock Nation. Take a moment to listen, discover, and support their work.
Nowruz Mobarak.
Dying Serenade
Dying Serenade is an Iranian post‑rock/post‑metal solo project created by guitarist and composer Saeed Karimi, known for crafting emotionally charged instrumental soundscapes that blend atmospheric post‑rock with heavier post‑metal textures. Drawing from layered guitars, immersive ambience, and slow‑burning crescendos, Dying Serenade’s music often reflects personal and collective grief—most notably in works like “Ruins of Hope,” dedicated to the victims of the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake.
