Review by SzejkElRopa on May 5, 2026.

I discovered No Point in Living accidentally, I think it was via a review on this site. After clicking on the name, I saw a long list of releases. Maybe it wasn't as long as the all-infamous Buckethead's discography, but still, taking into account that Yu, the sole member behind NPIL, started to release albums only in 2017. I decided to go for "The Summer" because this particular season is currently coming to a close.

First of all, what can be gathered from the title is that this album is fully instrumental. The atmosphere evokes loneliness and depression with post-rock/post-black metal-infused riffs that are depressing. For instance, the second-longest song on this album, "Depression and Madness", opens with a heavier, quite sinister riff. Shortly after that, a soft, saddening melody can be heard. The song ends with a slow, acoustic melody. As can be guessed from this, in "The Summer", there are no dramatic tempo shifts; instead, Yu decided to make this album mostly atmosphere-driven. At times, the album speeds up, as in "Sunflowers"; however, this is not anything extraordinary, and it doesn't make the album brutal. Sound samples, such as the rain sounds in (surprise) "Rain" and people laughing, as well as (another surprise) fireworks in the last track, add another layer to the atmosphere. To sum up, this record is full of depressing moments, albeit it doesn't have any extraordinary moves in it.

The riffs are executed well and are quite memorable. For me, they conjure up the opening riffs of some Harakiri for the Sky, especially when it comes to the riff in "Stars". In the same song, a good tremolo riff can be heard. To provide more highlights of the album, in "Sunflowers", there is a nice piano piece. Even though it is not as beautiful as others I have heard, it still delivers a good melody. The drums are programmed, and there is not much to say about them. At least they are not a distraction and dictate the tempo well.

Although "The Summer" doesn't feature vocals, it is a good piece of depressive music. I wouldn't necessarily call this album anything metal-connected, because it lacks aggression, and the riffs are closer to rock than to metal, excluding some tremolo riffs. "The Summer" is a pleasant album that I would recommend to people who like soft, depressing melodies.

Rating: 8 out of 10