I don’t have anything fancy to say to start this review. I’m here to talk about the new Teramaze album, called Eli: A Wonderful Fall from Grace, the third of what is apparently a trilogy. It releases on May 24th, but you can actually buy it right now on their Bandcamp, as well.
Teramaze is a band I’ve followed for some time, but I’ve honestly never felt the need to talk about them much. I feel like their music is getting better and better, though, and this album is the best I’ve personally heard from them thus far. The lineup includes Dean Wells on guitars and vocals, Nathan Peachey on vocals, Andrew Cameron on bass, Nick Ross on drums, Chris Zoupa on guitars, and Dave Holley on keys.
The band plays melodic progressive metal. I know that PR emails like to exaggerate things, so I’ve seen this band and their music called “masters” or “progressive metal titans” or that they “push the boundaries of the genre”. That’s fine. I get the lingo. This is progressive metal with melody, though. Don’t expect anything ridiculous or trailblazing, but the sound is beautiful, flowing, and even fresh, even though the band has been around for 20 years or more in some form or another.
That is what really sold me on this album. I don’t need the over-the-top PR descriptions, as that’s typically a turn-off for me. No, what sells this album is the music itself. The vocals are terrific and are quite expressive. The guitar work is what really made me a fan, I’ll admit, with very controlled and purposeful riffs that are heavy and energetic; they often feel like they are telling the story through their phrasing. The whole outfit plays very well, though, and you’ll even hear some saxophone on one track.
I won’t pretend to know the story or what it concerns. I will say that the first half is my favorite, but the closing track is my favorite song overall. Weird, I know. The album begins with a glitchy intro called “A Place Called Halo”—it’s supposed to sound like that, there’s nothing wrong with your speakers. “The Will of Eli” comes next and is fantastic. I love how nuanced the vocals are, and how meaty and almost catchy the riffs feel. Great track, but it leads into an even better one called “Step Right Up”; this piece is full of gorgeous keys, and they honestly steal the show. This song is catchy and brilliantly lit with keys contrasted against dark and vicious guitars. I love it.
The second half of the album is great, too. I really like “Madame Roma”, a song full of storytelling and some of the coolest guitars on the album, and the lengthy solos in the last half are particularly impressive. I’ll be honest about “Standing Ovation”, one of the singles: I think it is weakest song on the album, but it is still a good one with some thrilling guitar work and some great vocals on the verses—I’m not a fan of the chorus.
The album closes with the title track, and it’s really good. It’s about 15 minutes long, and I don’t think it wastes any part of that. It has one of the best riffs on the album, and I love the saxophone that filters in and out of the track with some truly raw emotions. For me, that is the band at its peak because of the contrast between the melodic vocals, crunchy guitars, and pealing and jazzy expressions. I love the way it ends in cinematic fashion, too.
Teramaze are modern and melodic, and I think plenty of listeners would love their sound. Eli is a rock solid album with lots of impressive playing and great hooks, and there are moments that are truly outstanding. I think they deserve more attention, even from me.
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Find Teramaze online:
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The PROG Mind 