Tera (NI) | ‘Forerunner’

I’m astounded by this demo, on several levels. Musically it’s exemplary, as far as demos go. Artistically though, it’s sort of appalling. Just how does it come to pass that a band is so totally engrossed in the sound of their idols that they manage to eliminate every original thought and stroke? It’s crazy. If noone showed you the cover, you’d swear blind this was a new Opeth record. Granted, that takes some doing. But they’ve done it.

Dont tune out. I’d say this is music you all need to hear, if only for the sheer brazenness of the theft. Take a quick visit to their myspace and roll your ears in wonder about how well they’ve mimicked the sound. You’ll smile.

Whatever Tera have to say about themselves and about other influences, you can probably discount it out of hand. What you’ll hear on ‘Forerunner’ is the sound of Opeth from about ‘Blackwater Park’ through to ‘Deliverance’. Whether you love that or hate it, the fact that a bunch of Northern Irish hopefuls have so accurately recreated it is pretty amazing. But as good as it is, the mere act of imitation doesnt automatically
make for good music.

The vocals are a bore. Clean sung the whole way through, they’re precisely like Akerfeldts. They’re also quite like Lars Eric Si, if any of you remember Winds. Winds were a great band, chock full of ideas and spacey, cool playing, let down only by dull singing and lyrics that went on about riveting stuff like ‘existence’, ‘essence’, and crap like that all the time. Tera seem to do this as well, and the faux philosophy is a snooze.

Let’s turn this round though. Leaving that, and the hero wosrship aside, the potential of these guys is massive, if and when they find their own voice. Even in mimicking every cadence, every tonality, every inflection of Opeth from drum patterns to bass throbbing, they display remarkable musical nous. There can be no doubt that they’re able to play and also able to discern excellent dynamic.

This demo is a treat to listen to for absolutely all the wrong reasons. But listen to it you should. It highlights the pitfalls as well as the promise of learning from your idols. The band have plenty of time yet, and seeing them live should be pretty good if they can play to this standard on cd. Maybe gigging more will liven them up, give them the shake they need, and bring their own musicality out a bit more. Yes, they play heavy metal, but they certainly don’t rock.

Can you commend a blatant rip off, even in the wide eyed innocence of it? Yes for having done it so well; but certainly no, in the long term. Tera have to find themselves. That they’ve effortlessly copied one of the most musically respected bands in the underground is pretty incredible. But artistically it’s less than useless. Especially listening to the opening of ‘Coloured Skies’, which to all intents and purposes is ‘Bleak’.

Go and listen to them. You’ll very likely be slack jawed at the similarity. But to the lads themselves: get out more.

Ciaran Tracey ::: 06/09/09