Terraform are a progressive metal band with members from both Birmingham and London. They mix crushing djent grooves with ambient guitars, similar to Periphery. They made their way on the metal scene through selling out their first show supporting Heart of a Coward and Malevolence. They release their debut EP Adrift on July 15th. The EP is a well-produced collection of five tracks showing they could be a force to be reckoned with.
It opens with ‘Breach’, starting with a beautiful clean guitar tone, transitioning into a hard breakdown. This works perfectly and makes for a solid introduction. ‘Atonement’ carries this atmosphere forward, with a progressive guitar solo over the top of a breakdown. However, the chorus is weak, grating and lacks passion.
‘Imaginations’ is the best track on the EP due to its hard, bouncy groove. The atmospheric echo sounds and the fluid lead guitar turns this track into a huge, epic wall of noise. The djent breakdown shows their potential off nicely, although the drums could have been higher in the mix.
Mitch Richards’ clean vocals really shine on ‘The Seraphim’; the beautiful layered harmonies adding an ambient texture. The track then erupts into a huge riff, which will make the crowds at their live shows lose their minds. The final track, ‘Echelon’ features a beautiful simple guitar lead, although it feels stale and doesn’t go anywhere. At six minutes, it could have been a bit shorter.
Despite this, Adrift is a mostly solid piece of work, showcasing a band who are confident in mixing pummelling riffs with beautiful ambience. If they carry on in this vein, they could headline bigger venues in no time.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos