Australia's progressive metal darlings Teramaze return with their 13th studio album The Harmony Machine, which quickly follows up 2024's excellent Eli-A Wonderful Fall From Grace. Guitarist & main songwriter Dean Wells and company have been quite prolific in recent years, cranking out basically an album a year since 2019's Are We Soldiers, self-releasing and producing, with no clear signs of slowing down anytime soon. The line-up for this latest release is:
Dean Wells / guitars, vocals
Nathan Peachey / vocals
Andrew Cameron / bass
Nick Ross / drums
Chris Zoupa / guitars
With:
Dean Kennedy / drums
Hugo Lee / saxophone
Dave Holley / keyboards
While they are usually labeled as a progressive metal band, Teramaze is much more song-oriented, and their music contains loads of modern pop elements. Opening track "Like a Cyborg" contains some complex riff-r-rama and spacy synths, but Peachey's soaring pipes on the chorus draws directly from modern pop and hip-hop. "Bullet to a Pharaoh" is ultra-catchy, and the guitar riffs & solos from Wells and Zoupa are killer. "Gloom" is one of my favorites, sort of a prog-metal power ballad, Peachey's vocals are dripping with emotion and the chorus is can't miss. "Ending of All" is fast paced and pretty heavy, but again, this is prog-metal that is much more vocal and melody-oriented...blazing lead guitars abound but you'll be hard-pressed to get this chorus out of your head. "Sinister" brings some slight djent styled riffs and arrangements into play, all housed within a hook laden song. Another favorite here on the album. There's the soaring "Perfect World", the symphonic "Desire Colour N' Lust", the more traditional prog-metal crusher "Black Sound", and the nearly 9-minute closing title track again throws out a multitude of engaging lead and backing vocals over a wealth of killer riffs, precise drumming, and tasty lead guitar.
If you are looking for ultra-complex, crushing prog-metal with lots of long solos, you've probably come to the wrong place, but if a more modern, song-based approach is more your speed, The Harmony Machine is a must-hear album.
Track Listing
1. Like a Cyborg (6:15)
2. Bullet to a Pharaoh (5:31)
3. Gloom (4:30)
4. Ending of All (4:39)
5. Sinister (5:19)
6. Perfect World (4:19)
7. Desire Colours N' Lust (5:20)
8. Black Sound (6:41)
9. The Harmony Machine (8:58)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
