In a sense it is a miracle that Teramaze have been able to record a new album, let alone release one that is as good as Are We Soldiers. The bands creator Dean Wells fell seriously ill just after a bulk of the tracks had been written, thankfully he was able to recover and head into the studio to work on Are We Soldiers… their first album since 2015. The other big change that has happened in that time is the return of previous lead singer Brett Rekekura and he is certainly in full flight here.
As an album itself Are We Soldiers is like a musical journey where you are never really sure what you are going to run into next. The album kicks off with “Fight Or Flight” which has a piano driven opening from Jonah Weingarten that then falls into Teramaze’s unique style of prog metal that sees electronic mesh with wailing guitars. In one part of the track as Rekekura exclaims ‘is this a lie’ you can only think of the true brilliance of the track.
Then comes the more guitar driven title track and that is then followed by the heavier yet more melodic “Control Conquer Collide” which feels like a musical journey on its own. As the track meanders along at one point it even goes into a weird folky electronic sound that shows Teramaze really are willing to push the boundaries.
The heights that Teramaze reach on this album is nothing short of amazing. From the thought-provoking lyrics of “From Saviour To Assassin” through to the electronic symphony that is “Monsters’… there is just so much to love here. The heaviness returns on “Orwellian Times” which sees Rob Brens working over-time on the drums. Sound wise Teramaze continue to explore new heights with “Weight Of Humanity” taking on a deep, foreboding rock nature while “The One Perfect Disarm” takes on a more traditional rock feeling with some sheer brutal vocals.
Teramaze also show that they are kings of smooth with “Fact Resistant Human” before starting on the epic marathon that is “Depopulate.” It is hard to describe in any other way than to point out that there is simply no weak on tracks on Are We Soliders.
Welcoming a new Teramaze album is like welcoming an old friend back. Led by Dean Wells this is one of the most exciting bands in Australia and you just know they are about to take the world by storm.
