TERRA ODIUM

Spiral Architect and the related Twisted Into Form are two of the most technically focused progressive Norwegian metal acts on the scene, but as little has been heard from either since the mid-2000s, a new technically focused progressive metal act from Norway is a welcome surprise. Terra Odium is definitely that but also a bit more as the almost cinematic synths and orchestration provide Terra Odium´s sound with something neither of the two aforementioned artists had. So while there are some similarities because of Hægeland´s voice, the technical drumming of Mickelson, and the busy fretless bass playing of DiGiorgio, Terra Odium is very much their own band with their own sound. Hægeland is a skilled singer with a versatile voice and a commanding delivery. Imagine a singer who sounds like one part John Arch (Fates Warning, John Arch, Arch/Matheos) and one part Buddy Lackey/Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe, The Shadow Theory) and you´re halfway there to understanding how Hægeland sounds. In other words at worldclass vocalist.

The music is generally pretty heavy, but also melodic and as mentioned above features an almost dramatic cinematic quality. The synths aren´t omnipresent but they are a pretty dominant part of the soundscape and provides an occasional symphonic edge to the band´s brand of progressive metal. It´s not only Hægeland who is a premier league musicians. The rest of the band are incredibly well playing too and the musicianship is generally through the roof. The songwriting is also intriguing and varied, and although all tracks are at least 6-7 minutes long and "The Thorn" is almost 12 minutes long, "Ne Plus Ultra" is an entertaining listen all the way through the 52:24 minutes long playing time. The album features a massive, layered, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well and upon conclusion "Ne Plus Ultra" is a high quality progressive metal release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Well this combo done a fantastic job here, this type of prog metal I can hear all day, is technical is melodic, lots of hooks, twists, tempo changes and above all the vocal parts are killer. The pieces are long enough around 7 min, one piece has 11 min, enough space to elaborated passages and all ingredients are to be found here for a solid prog metal album. I can say this is old school prog metal like it was done in the '90s,the way I like it. All pieces are excellent with a plus on first two Crawling and The Road Not Taken.

Easy recommendation, one of the better prog metal albums and bands in last years, 4 stars for sure.