UNTITLED

Hailing from Sacramento, Tera Melos formed in 2004, releasing this, their rarely self-titled, generally untitled debut LP, in 2005. The album art here chosen, with its charmingly ugly script font, is likewise less familiar to me. Fronted by the so-Cali experimentalist Nick Reinhart, Tera Melos here features still-current founding bassist Nate Latona, in these early days (the first 4 years or so) drummer Vince Rogers, and, leaving just a year(?) following this release (in late-'06), second guitarist Jeff "The Worm" Worms. I'd've happily made up "The Worm" if it weren't for a very real 17 year old PunkNews.org article announcing his departure from the band. Untitled strikes me now--good Lord, like 10 years since my last listen-thru(?!)--as a mathematical Noise Rock album: a harsh and challenging listening experience. It's also before any use of (standard) vocals by them. Partially-realized half-truths above, but regardless its celebration here and by friends is warranted. Readier than ever, I'm thrilled to be here.

Our untitled debut before us is perfectly fitted with 8 practically untitled tracks. Our first is "Melody 1", the shortest of all at just over a minute's length. Get your motors goin' with this one, a soft number featuring the signature electro-noodling provided by Nick's plethora of delaying and reverberating (sometimes alien) guitar pedals (it's magic, it's alchemy). More familiar to me is "Melody 2", at first a hurried Math Rock number with memorable, super-wonky chord stabs. Please don't count it out haha. Beautiful melodies, truly, ideas from which seem to have developed into some of the great numbers off Drugs to the Dear Youth (2007) and Patagonian Rats (2010) to follow. Likewise, this builds on a well-established Math Rock foundation, harking back to Don Caballero, and reminding me of Tera Melos's contemporaries Giraffes? Giraffes! (whom I likewise highly recommend). Over a lengthy ambient conclusion, percussion seems to include the battering of a set of kitchen cutlery; flatware, as it were, being rhythmically thwacked from across the room. It's awesome, frankly. Onto the next one, "Melody 3" perfectly rides #2's coattails, with now-classic tap-arpeggios. Nothing to really write home about here, though; still, purty enough.

Up next, you guessed it(!), it's "Melody 4"! And we are back into the more discordant and wild side of Math Rock (still nowhere near as noisy as my terrible memory made it out to be), but basically just here at the start. Fascinating to me, the melodies so melodious here (in a genuine way), I hear major influence specifically on Emo-Pop 2-piece powerhouse Origami Angel (masters of discord and power, also like that aforementioned other 2-piece, G?G!). On the other side of the coin, in more notably progressive territory, dare I say it sounded like The Most at times. This should come as no surprise to those aware that Math Rock has had a word to say, a firm footing, throughout much of Emo's now ~40 year history. So, through all its colors, "4" rings loudly as Emo, Post-Hardcore more broadly, and the avant-garde, somehow neatly wrapped up into a single, tasty package. "Melody 5" is the second longest at nearly 9 minutes, featuring some wordless yelling, and robotic murmuring. A great example of what feels like instrumental storytelling, everything packs a punch, from the more emotive and evocative, to the heaviest slams. Nearing minute 6 is a keyboard melody which I was convinced briefly was The Office theme.

Vaguely recalling "Melody 6", some of the best of the melodies can be found herein. It's a forward drive. It's also beautiful, in my opinion. Again, remember the very relevant post-hardcore influence of this band; Don C., Faraquet, Slint all seem relevant to this discussion in their own ways. "Melody 7" feels like an appropriate follow-up to "6", likewise more clearly melodic, straightforward even. Very very cool track. In a sort of Shoegaze fashion, more of Nick's vocals can actually be heard hear as well, but it's completely buried in the mix, contributing to the composition, as vocals are wont to do. With a super heavy bridge, the return is a triumph, however brief (like a minute to the end haha). Finally, for all the marbles, is the whopping 29-minute "Melody 8". This is the 'moment' on the album where all of my past fears and confusions regarding noise resided. It is relentless, and I had to resist turning it down (since I thought my levels were pretty alright up until). Nick's guitar screams and wails. Nate's bass drones on, sometimes dropping out completely, sometimes warming up the chaos from behind. Vince on the drums just tears through it all (they couldn't have found a better replacement than in John Clardy). I'm knowingly 'new' to Jeff; he's killing it, too, obviously. There's some random piano jammed in here. We get some nice alone time in an eerie, liminal arcade. I'm not sure what else there is to say here, as it's really best to experience these sorts of musical adventures yourself. Helluva way to close out an album of any kind.

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