Volumes – ‘No Sleep’ [Review]
Bursting out of the gate with a crystal-clear salute in Meshuggah’s direction and really coming into its own from second track 91367 onward, No Sleep is a dense album easily penetrable to fans of modern progressive metal, and worth the time and effort for the curious.
Originality may not be a core concern here, but No Sleep remains a set of top-notch tracks that grab you from note one and refuse to permit a moment’s release. Behind most metal bands with great songs lies some kind of pop influence – and Erased hints at Volumes’ own before stamping it into the dirt with brutal riffs and lead-weighted drumming, while Better Half sounds like Periphery jamming with Deftones in mellow mode. To call the rest of this album varied would be a real understatement, taking in the ambivalent lyrics of Across The Bed; Vahle‘s epically synth-powered intro and twisted body; Neon Eyes‘ split-second fragmentations; the peaceful pads behind Peace of Mind; and hardcore-fuelled closer Up All Night.
Overall, No Sleep is practically marinated in passion, belief, and memories and emotions as raw as freshly flayed skin.
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