Terminus – The Silent Bell Toll

 

 

Terminus – The Silent Bell Toll
Self released – 2021
Rock, Metal, Prog, Sludge, Stoner, Doom
Rated: *****

We’ve already been blessed this year with a truckload of amazing album. So many wonderful heavy, hard and delicious records, it boggles the mind. From that truckload there are a few crates that have managed to ‘wow’ me even more. And to that amount we add another one. For, The Silent Bell Toll by the Fayetteville, Arkansas four (or three?) Terminus is definitely an album of the year contender. Their former release, Fortune Looming from 2018, already had something special to it, but never completely seemed to blossom. On the new record The Silent Bell Toll everything seems to work together like clockwork. The way they weave their progressive metal together with influences from doom, stoner and sludge and make it all so intensely captivating, accessible and pop orientated is insane. Your ears will be astonished by how catchy their version of this heavy rock we all love so dearly, truly is. It is an unmatched effort in this area of heavy rock that will probably stay unmatched for the rest of the year. They immediately jump into the big league with this album and where their first three releases from 2012, 2013 and 2016 are free to download on Bandcamp this one deserves you entire monthly paycheck. The way that majestic two minute intro The Failure of Grief goes into the (for this period in human history, on many levels, aptly titled) Dying To Breathe with the (for this period in human history, on many levels, perfect) opening lyrics: ‘I’ve Seen This Sickness Once Before.’ And then turns a different corner, lyrically perhaps, vocally surely and musically they go from that heavy chugging riff to a grandiose cathedral sound. And that rise in vocals, where that second voice comes in, man, I can have it on repeat for the entire day. That entire track simply achieves perfection in the four minutes that it takes to finish. And the same can be said about the the rest of the album and the forty minutes it takes to finish. And it’s impossible to choose a favorite, cause follow-up Black Swan, with its vocal lines, guitar color and drum work once again on such an amazing quality you cannot fathom them continuing this line throughout, but they do. The Lion’s Den, The Falcon, closing battleship Oh Madrigal. It’s all simply fantastic! Emotive, compelling and truly stunning! How is this band not signed?

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

 Spotify