THE SENSELESS – In The Realm Of The Senseless

Perhaps the most unique album ever to hit the Metal market, In the Realm of the Senseless is the debut work of The Senseless. No stranger to Grindcore or Death Metal, bassist and singer Sam Bean is famous for his work with Australian based The Berzerker. While The Senseless is a side-project, the end result is anything but an after thought.

Nearly every track on In the Realm of the Senseless is amazingly succinct. Key and tempo changes abound, as do screaming lyrics and even some melodic moments. The blast beats mimic that of a common Grindcore release, but the technical experimentation make In the Realm of the Senseless very complex and inventive.

The album opens with the bombastic “You Love It.” Clocking in at just under 90 seconds, this song pretty much sums up the entire listening experience. Loud, frenetic, and warning with interesting programming, Bean shows off his songwriting ability. Moving through the album, “Unprincipled” proves to be a stand-out track featuring an almost snappy guitar line and drumming that is lightning fast. The end is soft and unique; the absolute antithesis of the beginning. Pure genius.

The boldest move any artist can make is to record music outside of a particular comfort zone. For all his screaming and thrashing, Sam Bean knows his fans expect creativity and he gives them what they want. In the Realm of the Senseless closes with “After Happy Ever (Unmetal).” The track is more than six minutes in length and is closer to Madonna than Death Metal. This is a song you can expect to hear at your local discothèque on a Saturday night. The beats are pulsating, yet clean and the music inviting. Completely instrumental, this is a song that could actually put you to sleep during a fit of unfortunate insomnia.

There are drawbacks. As with many Grindcore releases, the vocals are hard to discern. Here, it seems the volume may need a little boost. Also, some of the tracks are sadly repetitive. Still, Hardcore fans of super Heavy Metal will enjoy In the Realm of the Senseless. This album is definitely one of the most creative releases of 2007.

Lineup

Vocals, bass, guitars: Sam Bean
Guitars: Matt Wilcock

In the Realm of the Senseless tracklisting

1. You Love It
2. Vacation
3. Unprincipled
4. A Big Comedown
5. Crippled Trash
6. You Are Nothing
7. Promise
8. Wreckage
9. Evilicious
10. No Bombs Is Big Enough
11. Happy Ever After
12. After Happy Ever (Unmetal)