MEASURING THE ABSTRACT

There must be something in the water in Sweden, because they have been regularly cranking out quality metal acts for about twenty years now. Terminal Function are the latest addition to the Swedish roster, and they manage to match or surpass many of their countrymen on Measuring the Abstract, their debut album.

The music here sounds like something that might be the result of a jam session between Focus-era Cynic and fellow Swedes Meshuggah. This is a group who definitely wear their influences on their sleeve, most notably in the solos, some of which almost sound as if they're flowing from the fingertips of Fredrik Thordendal himself, but the end result is so good it's impossible to view that as a fault.

One of the most striking aspects of this record is the maturity of the songwriting. They sound as refined as a band who have spent decades polishing their craft, although maybe this shouldn't be so surprising - the group formed in 1998 and have been working hard ever since. The music is very technical and aggressive for the most part, with occasional synthesizers and calm, discordant jazzy sections providing breaks from the madness. Melody is used parsimoniously to maximum effect - perhaps most evident on the fantastic 'Room 101', in which the erratic guitar assault combines with furious drumwork and frantic vocals, building towards insanity before relenting in the face of a hook- laden chorus constructed around some gorgeous harmonized vocals. The skill of each member is quite clear, but it's drummer David Lindkvist who shines the brightest, with his mastery of challenging polyrhythms and complex percussive acrobatics underscoring the chaos flawlessly. Also of note are the compelling lyrics, dealing with subjects ranging from experiments in extrasensory perception gone wrong ('Remote Views') to attempts at artificially mass-producing human beings through cloning ('Spawn'). A great deal of time was spent perfecting every aspect of this release, and it's evident in the final product.

In a time where the metal landscape is studded and marred by vast legions of clone bands, copycats and unoriginal derivatives, Terminal Function are a group that dare to innovate. They have not merely raised the bar, they have smashed it to pieces. Any self-respecting metal fan owes it to themselves to check this release out, as this is a group of the highest caliber that seem poised to break through as one of the definitive bands of our generation.