Band: Nosound

CD Title: “A Sense of Loss”

Label: Kscope Records

Release Date: 2009

Over the years Italy has always blessed the progressive music scene with some amazing bands and if we go by the music of Nosound there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Nosound formed in 2001 originally as a one-man studio project around multi-instrumentalist Giancarlo Erra but quickly expanded into a full fledged band for touring. A Sense of Loss is their third CD and features a lineup consisting of Giancarlo Erra (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Paolo Martellacci (keyboards, vocals), Paolo Vigliarolo (acoustic guitars), Alessandro Luci (bass), and Gigi Zito (drums, vocals). The sound is enhanced with a string quartet of 2-violins, a viola and a cello.

The music of Nosound flows from atmospheric ambience to soft acoustic passages to dense layers of sound that can at times be quite intense although never really over the top. It’s the solid rhythm section of bass and drums that keeps these compositions from simply meandering out to nowhere. There are six-tracks on A Sense of Loss; a couple around five-minutes the longest being over fifteen and the rest in between. Things get underway with “Some Warmth into this Chill” [7:54] starting off with a haunting quality of strings and simple drumming percussion to set the mood. The cello and cymbals in particular take centre stage. The vocals, all in English by the way, pick up on the moods and the tune builds in tension and layers of sound. And this is perhaps the distinctive nature ofNosound’s musical approach: the music starts soft and small and is layered and layered to take it to different places. The music rarely shifts abruptly but rather ebbs and flows. Throughout each piece different instruments are heard, a piano here, a violin there, the drums, acoustic guitar all manage to get some time in the rather subdued spotlight. There is a spacey droning quality that is never boring but pervades the proceedings creating a sonic blanket with waves of sounds that knit the various tracks together. All that being said it is on the CD’s longest track “Winter Will Come” [15:38] where we find the greatest contrast in the music with some huge symphonic swells and the most aggressive guitar driven musical sections. My guess is this is the track that will appeal to more traditional prog fans.

The music crafted by Nosound may not be everyone’s cup-of-tea but I like it. It’s definitely the kind of music that grows on you with repeated listens. I’d suggest that if you appreciate the music of No Man or some of the softer Porcupine Tree you’ll find much to appreciate with A Sense of Loss.