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Terra Odium: Ne Plus Ultra

Progressive Metal

4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 09.06.2021 | Released: 11.06.2021

When a band name and/or album title flirt with Latin, or the album art is a dark perplexing maze-like image, you know you're dealing with progressive music. Such is the case with Norwegian band Terra Odium, created by two former Spiral Architect members singer/guitarist Øyvind Hægeland and drummer Asgeir Mickelson, and their debut studio album Ne Plus Ultra. The band name is likely translated "the hatred" and album "no more beyond." The latter has been attributed to the inscribed warning on the Pillars of Hercules, meaning "not further beyond" to ships. A more colloquial meaning is commonly rendered "the most perfect" or "ultimate" example of something. The band also features guitarist Bollie Fredriksen from Manitou and Steve DiGiorgio from Testament on bass.

Terra Odium

A few words might describe Terra Odium's progressive metal. Not the least are heavy and intense, both modern and technical, but also dark and foreboding. An initial spin of the seven song, near 50 minute, album reveals a rather simple formula: aggressive riffs with an ambitious rhythm section wrapped in synth orchestration for even more intense density, with all a things leading to epic, technical guitar solos. Oh yeah. Somehow within this bombastic package lyrics and vocals are added. Haegland's vocals are more spoken to screamo rants hoping to survive the metal crush, rather than intended to lift song melody. The exceptions are the acoustic-synth driven It Was Not Death, something of a creepy ballad, and the first half of Winter wherein the second half is raging. Winter also has a very cool (and intense) bass solo. Otherwise riffs rule the day, and guitar solos are the thing. They are indeed magnificent, skillful, and technical within Crawling, The Clouded Morning, and Shadow Lung. All things considered, if you enjoy your progressive metal dark, heavy, intense, and a showcase for guitar pyrotechnics, you will dig Terra Odium and Ne Plus Ultra. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

All things considered, if you enjoy your progressive metal dark, heavy, intense, and a showcase for guitar pyrotechnics, you will dig Terra Odium and Ne Plus Ultra. Recommended.

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