ALBUM REVIEW: Terror Management Theory – Temic
Now and again, musicians happen to cross paths while working in similar circles and things gel perfectly from the outset. With TEMIC, each member has a varied and interesting creative history that has led to them working together. Diego Tejeida, the keyboardist and sound designer behind the project, spent a large amount of his career in the English progressive metal band HAKEN. During this time, he also toured with and performed with various bands, including a stint touring with DEVIN TOWNSEND and providing keyboards on The Puzzle/Snuggles and Lightwork. Tejeida met guitarist Eric Gilette while touring as part of MIKE PORTNOY’S SHATTERED FORTRESS and the pair had conversations about making music together, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that the seeds of this project began to grow. They were eventually joined by vocalist Fredrik Bergersen (MARATON) and drummer Simen Sandnes (ARKENTYPE) to create their diverse and powerful debut album Terror Management Theory, on which the band have utilised their collective experience to craft a lavish progressive metal debut that stands out sharply in the crowd.
To zoom in to attempt to break down and highlight each aspect of Terror Management Theory would only serve to diminish what it encompasses. The album is as finely tuned and stately as the best passion projects are – passion being something that these four have no shortage of. Coming in at just under the hour mark, there is surprisingly next to nothing on this debut release that constitutes filler. Following on from the pulsing, atmospheric introduction of TMT comes Through The Sands Of Time, which serves as a perfect introduction for their mission statement. This seven-minute progressive metal epic combines Bergersen’s soaring clean vocals with a broad instrumental palette and electronic elements that add to the massive scale of their music. The time that Tejeida served with DEVIN TOWNSEND can be strongly felt on this track and the follow-up Falling Away, which continues the journey through time and space that Terror Management Theory takes the listener on.
Much of the album can be categorised according to the members’ earlier projects. The HAKEN influence on this album is unmissable on tracks like Acts Of Violence and Paradigm, which take these prog-rock leanings and merge them with heavy instrumental moments akin to TESSERACT. Others, such as Skeletons, incorporate broader influences into the mix. The main hook from this track is quite reminiscent of the signature synth sections from JOURNEY’s Separate Ways, but the incorporation of this similar section is where the comparison ends, with the heavy guitar from Gilette providing a stark contrast to any potential 80s pop-rock influence. With that being said, there is a vast amount of individuality in their music – they don’t always reinvent the wheel with this album, but they’ve honed their writing into a fine art. The ebb and flow of each track works incredibly, leaving plenty of space for heavy moments and breakdowns amongst the ascendant choruses and massive vocals.
If Terror Management Theory was the fourth or fifth album by the band, you could put the tightness of the overall sound down to their time writing and working together, years spent touring together, and experience with honing their production. The fact that this debut album (albeit from a group of seasoned musicians) is as polished and remarkable as it is only serves to showcase the talent of the individual members. TEMIC have boldly shown what they are capable of with this release, steering their music competently with their abundance of talent. Progressive metal is a difficult field to be truly innovative in due to the great number of skilled artists that have poured themselves into the genre over the years, but TEMIC prove with Terror Management Theory that there is still plenty of space left to spread out and incorporate ambitious new sounds into the busy space that the genre has become.
Rating: 9/10
Terror Management Theory is set for release on November 17th via Season Of Mist.
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