NE PLUS ULTRA

"Ne Plus Ultra" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian progressive metal Terra Odium. The album was released through Frontiers Music in June 2021. Terra Odium formed in 2014 and features two former members of Norwegian technical/progressive metal Spiral Architect (drummer Asgeir Mickelson and lead vocalist/guitarist Øyvind Hægeland) as well as former Manitou guitarist Bollie Fredriksen (where he played with Hægeland). Already with those guys on board you just know that you´ll get high quality musical performances, but that´s not even it, because bassist extraordinaire Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Death, Testament, Megadeth, Soen...etc.) has also found time to lay down the bass tracks on "Ne Plus Ultra". Keyboard player Jon Phipps (also a member of DiAmorte) completes the quintet lineup.

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).

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