“All roads are pointing home again.”
If you missed Volume 1 of the Impact Series, you can find it here.
Many people consider Full Collapse or War All The Time Thursday’s defining releases.
And certainly, those are two excellent places to start listening to one of the most important post-hardcore bands of the last decade.
But 2011’s No Devolucion, which is their swan song, remains their defining release for me. It was my first foray into post-rock influenced music, really. It’s an absolute statement – and one of the best albums I’ve heard of any genre. It’s a very important release in terms of the impact it had on myself, personally.
Remember that Envy/Thursday split that was released in between album cycles? It was awesome.
No Devolucion bears many similarities to that in terms of atmosphere and ambiance. Match up “Empty Glass” with the track “Appeared And Was Gone” from the Envy/Thursday split and you’ll see the post-rock tendencies very evident.
This is one of those albums you remember exactly where you were when you heard it the first time. And it doesn’t sacrifice occasional aggression, either – tracks like the 1-2 punch of “Millimeter” and the upbeat “Turnpike Divides” are two of the best tracks here. And I haven’t even mentioned the finale, “Stay True”, which tugs at your heart strings the whole way through.
The first time I heard No Devolucion, I was in a car traveling to see my then-girlfriend. I knew I had to share this album with her, and though we’re not together anymore (I’m with someone infinitely more lovely now) I hope that if you ever read this, you’re still listening to this album. And I hope you find the beauty in it like I do in this empty glass. May you find happiness.
