I'm sure the style of chain is a big variable. The parts from the last engine show four grooves that clearly match the tie bars in the chain. A link style chain will have a much smoother backside and should work just fine with a tensioner.

The new chain that I'm putting in this 427 is from Pro Gear and it is smoother on the back than the Comp Cams chain that was in there. But I still decided to skip the tensioner on this build.