Terrortory takes off again.
After an album and EP released on Discouraged Records over ten years ago, Johan Norström (vocals, Katapult), Stefan Vidmark (guitar, ex-Nightscape), Emil Ceder (guitar), Tommy Nilsson (drums) and Olov Häggmark (bass) present The Black Prism, their new and independently released album.
We start with the jerky rhythm of Star Crusher, a first composition anchored in a modern Melodic Death style, but which also accepts other more straightforward influences. The mix is quite energetic, except for the aerial break that allows us to catch our breath, then In Praise of the Plague kicks things back into gear at a frantic pace, creating a contrast with its heady harmonics that add a haunting touch to the choruses, especially the last one. In the Heart of the Storm returns to its stirring but catchy riffs, while lead guitar moves ever more towards Thrash Metal’s cutting edge, but retaining its intense side with a few clear backing vocals, before The Free Will Follow returns to more ethereal tones, in total contrast to the groove of the rhythm section. The unifying refrains will be extremely effective live, while the heavy atmosphere will stand out on The Prophecy, a track where lead parts obscure some passages and bring a welcome touch of light to others. Hypnotic melodies return with Pestiferous Haven, a track where the musicians unleash themselves in waves, offering more dissonant moments and Power Metal influences in the backing vocals, but Self-Inflicted Stigma quickly takes over to show us a perfect example of musical contrast, with fury and gentleness easily coming together. We continue with the motivating Age of Silence, a relatively short composition that starts without delay and throws us into this torrent of violence that only gets stronger with time, then As Above, So Below comes to present us with its fierce riffs within which the vocalist unleashes his fury. The brief moment of calm in the middle allows us to regain our composure before speeding off again to The Black Prism, the final track which starts off ominously slow, but is energized by the vocalist, followed by the other members who build a long, shifting rhythm before the final lullaby.
For their comeback, Terrortory have pulled out all the stops, creating a diverse, rhythmic album. The Black Prism assumes its Death Melodic roots, but doesn’t shy away from dipping into other styles to develop interesting riffs.
80/100