Terminal
Tear You From the Inside
6
Terminal is a bare-bones metal act from New York City with a decent little five-song demo. Medium-Thrash is what I think when I hear these songs. There’s some speed, a bit of groove, but also some clean guitar sections. The singer sounds like he came from the 80’s thrash scene, for better or worse, with a voice that sounds like a guy screaming at a moderate volume. He’s very gritty, but you can usually discern his lyrics. The production is fine for a demo, with the instruments sounding organic. The general feel of the mix is like being at a live show in a venue with proper acoustics.
“Lost” comes first and makes a positive impression. A thrashy riff set covers the first two minutes, and then the lead guitar goes acoustic, while still backed up by a distorted rhythm guitar. This is a nice contrast. The last minute is all shredding, but with an olden feel. “Tear You from the Inside” is next, with more bass than I’ve ever heard in a metal song, although the song itself is lackluster. “Earth. Evolution. Extinction.” brings back the speed, with a slight punk/hardcore influence. This song basically bounces between two or three riffs, all around the same tempo, which really gives that hardcore feel. “The Chance” is mid-paced, again with a strong bass presence, although like the title track, it doesn’t leave much of an impression. Last up is “Life’s Blood”, which has the same feel as “The Chance”, but varies things just enough to make a difference. Thrashy riffs are mixed into select spots, and a long solo towards the finish ensures that the demo ends on a high note.
For an unsigned act, Terminal has some chops, but their motivation for playing metal will determine their future in the game. If they are looking to get signed and sell a pile of albums, this sound is likely too dated for the young album-buying set. If they just love getting on stage and jamming, keep on keeping on.
