Andrew Danso

Hello friends!

We've spent over a year writing & recording our debut, and now, it's finally online and ready to be heard. Tera are a prog metal outfit, consisting of four members.

Taken from MySpace.com/teraonline (you should go there!):

Tera formed in early 2008, are an ambitious outfit, lapsing into progressive and uncharted territory. They elegantly blend the charms of their influences into a single innovative and cohesive package. With the release of Forerunner, Tera mix the intensity of progressive metal with their own modern agenda that refuses to play ball with the conventional acceptance of modern song writing. (Tera 09, Press Release)


Get to http://www.myspace.com/teraonline, to listen to the projects works, and get further information.

Many thanks,

Andy

With a focus being very much instrumental along with guitars and drums at the fore of the experience, you might be forgiven to judge this book by its cover. However, National Sunday Law are remarkably fresh in their approach and song writing. Completing there entries in a progressive and doom fashion, they also create atmospherics that are rich and help add a real sense of depth to the production. NSL are also a 2-piece.

The song writing itself is broadly influenced with many other genres and stylistic approaches added into the equation. It’s repeatedly refreshing to hear production techniques tarnished by the mainstream, rejuvenated in such vibrant, energetic and uncharacterised ways. Think a meandering soft guitar riff, then clapping, and therein begins another section. NSL feature a memorable recording as the production quality is fine; the music itself feels spontaneous, live and within the moment. The vocal doesn’t enter the crosshairs as a centrepiece, but is used as an atmospheric tool. Disappointments may lay with the testosterone fuelled “To Hell With You,” but all is easily forgiven, as the track counter changes. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Donley and Tambascio.

8.5/10 Metal-Mayhem.co.uk

The Yellow Signs “Ancient” showcases a band with a leaning toward the DM extremities of Oceano. What’s different in comparison are the more progressive, melodic and doom sections that unfortunately don’t quite make the focus of the record. The tracks themselves having the above in their undercurrent are excellently put together that tether the drum and riff work subliminally. The vocal is not acumen to The Yellow Signs work, but does shift into the crosshairs from time to time. It’s a disappointment mixed into the depths of the EP, that marginally hinder the experience and this is due to the performance on the mic not being quite as cemented as the other instrumentation. Think, Decapitated’s “Covan” with a minor throat infection, which makes his vocal even drier. The assisted high-pitch yelps are tasteful in liking but certainly work better when layered on top of the main vocal (it’s almost as if both are two halves of the same walnut).

The Yellow Signs biggest hurdle lays in their ability to produce material that’s more definitive than mashing their favourite influences together. The tracks on display through the EP are no-frills, hands-down worth departing every penny for; they just lack that memorabilia which help define the likes of Oceano and Decapitated. Even if “Ancient” isn’t that accomplished, it certainly reveals a band very much worth their salt.

7/10 Metal-Mayhem.co.uk

Heavily focused on the influences of Mike Oldfield, Shackleton’s Voyage is a record echoing the theme of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s journey to the Antarctic. Treated to an arsenal of instrumentation with narration thrown in for good measure, lend a hand at creating a powerful atmosphere to encapsulate the Voyage. Whilst being rooted to a more prog rock template, Eureka do mix symphonic, synthesised, and Celtic themes into the affair, that help give their concept an interpretation so clear it can be visualised. This is were the concept becomes alive, as picturing such events before your eyes are at the very least moving and pay tribute to the quality of the atmospherics present.

However, on closer inspection, the albums compositions would be dead without the concept. The tracks themselves are very lean without their storyline and to truly absorb the albums fruitful atmosphere, a brush up of knowledge on the expedition wouldn’t go a miss. That’s not to say Shackleton’s Voyage isn’t accessible through casual listen (in fact it’s quite the opposite) but understanding the concept will guarantee an increased hit whilst listening. The records pacing is dynamically excellent, as the album drives and cascades through rocky progressions, and atmospheric hazes. If all else fails, Eureka may raise awareness of the historic event amongst the unfamiliar.

Archaic-Magazine

Frequency is gripping, tasteful and all the more memorable. Consistency is easily found on each number, with enough proggy up and downs that keep things moving.

There is no ethic to push the genre forward with radical forward-thinking on the album, but the twists and intricate musicianship displayed best on tracks “Frequency”, and “Life Support”, certainly add depth to the record. Rooted to a more dated, classic prog-rock approach, without attempting to break any ground raise an awareness of detracting ambition. IQ have played it very safe on Frequency, and even though each track has its marvelling moments, other passages are all too stale, with the cobwebs of archaic song writing being very present. Nicholls vocal work on Frequency is particularly impressive, adding an important dynamic to IQ’s music, that command and tether progressions together effortlessly.

Frequency is certainly not a just release geared toward the fan, as from the get-go, headbangers that make an acquaintance, will note a package evocative, solid and worthwhile.

7.5/10 Metal-Mayhem.co.uk

Comprised of everything Scandinavian, "Wearing A Martyr’s Crown" is made up of melodic guitars, belching vocals, double kicks, and its fair share of acoustic guitar passages. For the fan, the record may saturate for years to come, but for the neutral, Wearing A Martyr’s Crown sounds dangerously close to early Arch Enemy, Inflames and Children Of Bodom – actually it initially appears to be an arranged "Black Earth". In 1996, and still to this day many herald Black Earth as a Scandinavian masterpiece, and with partial reiterations in 2009 still happening, this point is further cemented. This also highlights the genres biggest problems. Much like London’s drum and bass scene, Scandinavian metal has never had the ability to progress from the late nineties, without becoming something entirely different. Herein lays Nightrage’s biggest problem. They sound specifically the same as their precursors.

However, there is credit were its due. As you would expect, song writing is solid with enough twists that’ll certainly retain attention spans. The performances are among some of the most mesmeric heard in years. Production values are kept suitably high, that help showcase their compositions clearly. It’s just such a pity that Wearing A Martyr’s Crown is just another addition to the obese genre, and almost a non-respective one at best. To add, you wouldn’t have been surprised to see Nightrage add the masterstroke to push the genre forward; which makes Wearing A Martyr’s Crown that more disappointing. Maybe we’ve been listening to cover bands for the past 13 years?

Archaic-Magazine

Initially, Inferno appears to have more in common with the pretentious IDM faithful than the metallic hardcore. The introduction to Pompa Magna, “bar / bar / bar minimizer,” is almost entirely electronic, that hints at what’s to come and glints at Inferno’s electronic capabilities. Newcomers to Inferno might find worth in noting that this introduction has little in common with the remaining numbers; except for the remainder having restrained synths, odd time signatures, noisy vocals and hectic song structures. The majority of the release combines all of the above, along with distorted guitars and energetic drum takes, that loosely reminisces, “Sonic Syndicate,” and “Dillinger Escape Plan”.

Inferno’s experimental backbone tailor the act to be an assault on the ear, rather than a group bolstered delivering on great song writing. What’s unfortunate on Pompa Magna, is Inferno’s lacklustre song writing with depth untouched and riff progressions non-cohesive. This quintet will throw themes familiar and mostly unfamiliar at you, but do so with little construction and cement. That’s not say that this isn’t a valiant effort; it’s just parried by other innovative artists too easily.

6/10 Metal-Mayhem.co.uk