I'm sick of people whining about music without vocals. Do I generally prefer having them? Sure, but that isn't to instrumental music should be scoffed at and tossed aside. Ever seen a movie with unnecessary exposition or narration? Not everything needs to be explained in words. And so it is with Telepathy, one of the best instrumental acts I have had fortune to cross paths with.
This is progressive sludge so descriptive in its crushing Mastodon-like melodies that further elaboration is rendered moot. I hate to keep bringing back the “waves” metaphor, but this music just suits it so well. I can almost taste the salt in the air. However, the shifting currents in this case are filled with far more elaborate, complex progressions above most of the pack.
Even when dipping into the soft, serene moments as on the latter half of "Crystine Knot," the guitar does the talking. I am filled with such unexplainable feeling by these tones. Hope, mourning, pride, and inspiration; all fair game. And unlike many sludge acts, the music is mostly quite uplifting, but never in a cheesy way.
Frankly, that is what makes the destructive qualities all the more impressive. I listen to "Sleepwalker" banging my head to be sure, but it's more like a force of nature than any man-made aggression. Hurricanes and tornadoes aren't spiteful or angry: they just are. There's a certain beauty to that. Likewise, the thunderous blasts of stormlike drums and lightning strikes of effects-laden guitar on “Deluge” are simultaneously scary and stunning.
Between the alarmingly impressive production, all-around memorable performances, and impressive songwriting; 12 Areas is a spectacle to behold. Stop being a baby and just buy it. You get to choose the price.
