• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

French philosopher Paul Virillio is best known for his work in the field of dromology, or the science of speed itself, and believed that speed drives history forward in a state of ever-increasing acceleration. That's a pretty fitting concept for a Metal band if you ask me, and Danish Black/Thrash act Terminalist seemed to agree, as they based their full-length debut on the dromocromatic philosophy mixed with their own science fiction narratives about planetary collapse and humanity's attempts to colonize space. That all sounds pretty bleak and very relevant to our time, so at least we know the band is paying attention to the world around them.

But enough on thematics, how about the music? Well, The Great Acceleration is a Black/Thrash album with a sci-fi lyrical focus, so we already know it's going to sound a little like Vektor, though Terminalist are a bit less busy than that would imply. What is surprising is how accomplished this is for a debut, with songs that are complex and often epic yet smooth and coherent enough to make the whole thing pretty accessible. As is befitting their lyrical focus, the music on display mostly goes at hyperspeed, though they do occasionally slow down for moodier sections, as on the colossal "Invention of the Ship Wreck" and the massive album closer "Dromocracy", the former of which is most notable for its melodic bass solo at the end and the latter containing an ending section that's monotonous, but in a way that makes sense for the song to close on it. The playing is tight and razor-sharp throughout, with vocalist/guitarist Emil Hansen possessing an alien-like grunt that's thematically appropriate and well done, even if it could do with a little variation to match the intricacy of his guitar work, and the rest of the band going at it with relentless energy and verve.

If the band can keep up the momentum (no pun intended), they can easily become a big name in the sci-fi Metal scene. I'll definitely be looking out for them in the future, and you can join me after giving this the spin that it deserves.