Review Summary: A fantastic debut; crushingly heavy and packed full of riffs.
No Made Sense are loud. Damn loud, in fact, given that the band are a mere three-piece. They play a mixture of progressive and post metal with hints of Meshuggah and a healthy dose of The Ocean Collective for good measure.
The Epillanic Choragi is their debut LP, and for a trio of twenty-somethings from Reading, they make a hell of a good impression.
Structurally,
The Epillanic Choragi is similar to Tools
Lateralus in that there are key ‘core’ songs that are either partnered with short instrumental tracks or bridged together with said songs. More often than not this can end up being pointless filler on an album, but here it’s actually pretty necessary; the album clocks in at 71 minutes and even without the instrumental tracks it still runs for 57 minutes.
The Epillanic Choragi is one densely packed album; every few minutes a new riff or hook will bitch slap you with the sheer wall of sound that No Made Sense succeed in creating so often throughout the albums lengthy running time. For this reason the tracks that bridge the ‘core’ songs together provide welcome breathing space for an album that can, at times, try your patience. Indeed, when
The Epillanic Choragi descends into its more drawn out passages and sludgy guitar playing, it can at times seem like a slog to wade through the mire of sound you are presented with. Thankfully, there is almost always a bone crushingly awesome moment just around the corner and the structure of the album allows its lengthy running time to pass you by with relative ease.
The Epillanic Choragi is a concept album, though you’d be hard pressed to decipher it; some sort of inter-galaxy nonsense relating to the planet Milachis. However, the concept is of no importance; the lyrics merely provide an opportunity for vocalist/guitarist, Leo Dennet to severely punish his larynx, something he seems quite content to do 90% of the time. Occasionly Dennet will unleash a raspy singing voice, which is neither good nor bad, it’s simply average. However, when the man is screaming, good god is it good. Seriously, Dennet is one pissed off individual and when the crunching guitars, thick bass and all-over-the-place drums are partnered with his angst-laden, strained vocals, the experience is fantastic and is representative of
The Epillanic Choragi at its best. Thankfully, the rhythm section is equally impressive; the bass is never overly complex but compliments and weaves its way around the guitars perfectly, thickening the overall sound. The drums, meanwhile, are absolutely stellar; not just a rhythmic backdrop but an instrument in their own right, they crash and roll all over the place, making songs far heavier and engaging than they would otherwise be.
If you are a fan of bands such as Pelican, The Ocean, Neurosis or
Remission era Mastodon then it’s a fair bet that you will enjoy
The Epillanic Choragi. However, No Made Sense are not merely a clone of established acts; they add a progressive edge to the post/sludge metal sound they create, and while this can result in the occasional passage being more drawn out that it probably should be, the end product is often fantastic and consistently heavy. No Made Sense has crafted an excellent album. Take into account that it is their first release and it is clear that they will be a band to keep track of.
