TERAMAZE: Eli – A Wonderful Fall From Grace (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

We had to wait eighteen months to find Teramaze after their excellent "Flight Of The Wounded", an eternity for followers of the Canadians who had, between 2019 and 2022, offered no less than five deliveries.

Teramaze has mellowed over the last ten years or so. Specifically, since 2012's Anhedonia, when the combo abandoned its first moniker - Terrormaze - and its thrash prog for more assimilable progressive metal. The new album sees the return of former frontman Nathan Peachey, who left his little comrades in 2015. Guitarist Dean Wells, the band's founding father, subsequently took over the microphone.

Her Halo" (2015) and "Sorella Minore" (2021). Here,Teramaze develop old-school progressive metal worthy of Dream Theater's early efforts. Virtuosity and vocal harmonies take the listener on a contemplative journey streaked with atmospheric six-string flights, often verging on the dreamlike. On 'The Will Of Eli', the vocals are alternately soft and conquering, making this piece immediately addictive. As for the instrumental parts, they swirl between muscular progressive solos, acoustic Latin guitar to great effect and Pink Floyd-style chimerical parts. 'Step Right Up' features thundering metal riffs and an emphatic chorus. The percussive aspect of the first part is offset by a long, floydian passage, before the initial power propels the track out of this ether. Madame Roma' is the heaviest part of the piece, with growl interventions coming almost naturally. The occasional oriental influence, the highly melodic Dream Theater-era 'SFAM' solos and the dazzling final flourishes balance the work with precision. 'Standing Ovation' is shorter - less than six minutes (!) - and more rhythmic: monstrous riff, synth solo, energy and dexterity at every level. The ballad 'Hands Are Tried' is of rare sensitivity, the piano remarkable for its romantic elegance. A perfect beach for a conclusion, the composition is nevertheless followed by the eponymous piece. At a delightful fourteen minutes, it is archetypal of Teramaze style, and features a saxophone that is as astonishing as it is heart-rending.

"Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace" is an album of beauty. This is the Australians' major work, their "Scenes From A Memory". Surprisingly soothingly powerful, complex yet addictively accessible, it's a work worthy of many listens, each discovery hiding another. In this genre, the record of the year may already be in the shops. - Official website

TERAMAZE

ELI – A WONDERFUL FALL FROM GRACE

WELLS MUSIC

PROGRESSIVE METAL