Teramaze – ‘Her Halo’ [Review]
Opening an album with a 13-minute epic, taking in everything from delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios and gracefully dramatic piano to chunky, churning riffs and soaring solos in the process, is not a move most bands would choose to make.
But then, Teramaze aren’t most bands.
After An Ordinary Dream establishes Teramaze’s home territory – a fastidiously percolated progressive-metallic blend of Symphony X, Dream Theater, and Karnivool – these guys spend the duration of Her Halo exploring both its hyperdense core and wild outer limits. The result is a journey full of theatricality and flamboyance, but with none of the profligacy those two words tend to imply. Every beat, lick, melody, shred-happy moment and lyrical line has its place, making each of the songs on Her Halo both accessible enough to draw the most casually curious listener in, and forward-thinking enough to satiate the most die-hard proghead.
Outside of first single Out Of Subconscious (which comes complete with an impressively catchy chorus, considering it’s in 5/4), my personal highlights have to be the wicked instrumental Trapeze (pure fucking fun) and second track To Love A Tyrant, on the back of its multifaceted and manifold granite-carved grooves and beautifully built bridge section. Teramaze have claimed prog-metal’s holy grail: masterful musicianship, stellar songwriting, precision-engineered tones, and buckets of unmistakable and undeniable passion.
Respect.
TMMP RATING: 90%
Links
Her Halo drops October 30th.
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