Terranoct - Icon Of Ruin


Terranoct is a Heavy Metal band based out of Akron, Ohio. With deep roots in the Death/Thrash Metal traditions, it reinterprets them through its unique lens with pummeling precision and a strong sense of direction. Over time, they’ve refined their sound and are now well-known for a sonic profile defined by a perfectly balanced marriage of both styles, which shines through in their existing singles. Through a razor-sharp focus on connecting with both artists and fans, it’s going to be a wild ride as they fight tooth and nail to secure an even stronger foothold in the metal community.

https://terranoctband.bandcamp.com/

Band Members:

  • Ricky Lewis – Vocals
  • Tyler O’Brien – Guitars/Clean Vocals
  • Rickie Palmer – Guitars
  • Dan Paddy – Drums

April 28, 2023

Tracklist:

  1. Meridian
  2. Omnipotence
  3. Cast In Stone
  4. Heresy
  5. Dystopian Dance
  6. Blighted Body
  7. Call Of The Void
  8. Artificial Conflict
  9. Those Without A Voice
  10. Leviathan’s Will
  11. Cerebral Strangulation

When you hear the intro to “Meridian,” with the strings woven in and the gentle, almost soothing, melody, you aren’t likely to think this is a Death/Thrash Metal album. The Melodic sensibility of this song is apparent all the way through, but the slow build they craft into the track, with the delicate, somber, yet powerful solo, gives you the sense there is a lot more to this band than what you hear here. And you are right in thinking that.

“Omnipotence” removes all doubt about what this band is capable of. The lightning-fast guitar work perfectly paced by the drummer and paced by the bass guitar is intricate, brutal, and precise. The tone and tempo shifts show a musicianship that is necessary for this genre, though only sometimes present. Here, it is on full display and a wonderful thing to behold.

For a bit of a change, “Dystopian Dance” presents a more sinister, darker, Melodic Thrash type intro before going into the heavier Death Metal section of the song. I have to say, I like both ends of Terranoct’s spectrum. Then, to top off that difference, they layer in clean vocals under the growls, giving the song a more profound impact with those offsetting tones.

The next surprise is the eight-minute track “Call Of The Void.” The stringed intro with the Symphonic stylings that lead to the brutal riff/rhythm combination is another facet of the overall sound this band builds across 11 songs. Not content to just be the fastest band from Akron, OH, they decide to broaden their horizons and incorporate things that show a different side of them. Yes, there can be beauty in brutality.

“Those Without A Voice” is a melancholy, dark, heavy track that will give you the feeling there is an underlying message to the whole thing. They again fuse in clean vocals and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. I love how the strings return for the bridge, taking the song in a different direction. These guys can truly shift positions at will.

They close with “Cerebral Strangulation,” another straightforward Death Metal-style track. Once again, they clear seven minutes with little to no effort. Terranoct likes more extended compositions, as shown by the three songs over seven minutes and three more over six. The only track under four is instrumental.

Terranoct shows they are not limited to one single style. They cover a range of sounds, giving themselves plenty of room to wander through their brutal soundscape. The breadth of their content is one of the more impressive in any metal genre, not just Death/Thrash.

MZ Ratings:

  • Musicianship
    • Guitars – 9
    • Rhythms – 9
    • Vocals – 9
  • Songwriting – 9
  • Production – 10
  • Overall – 9.20