There seems to be debate as to whether this release is a second E.P. or a second full length, either way it's unarguably a new Tera Melos release.

'So Occult' surprised me, I'd heard this lot were jazzy, punky, math-rock, whatever etc but the album opens with a wee little ditty that wouldn't sound out of place on a Grizzly Bear record (this is a good thing). This is followed by the short and sweet 'Kelly' which reminds me of vintage Weezer with added guitar tapping, so far, not what I was expecting, and dare I say it, better than Weezer have sounded in years and years (I do dare to say it, because I just have).

What follows mixes elements of prog, pop, and math-rock in a way that actually works remarkably well. 'The Skin Surf' recalls Battles at their most playful with a Dillinger Escape Plan-esque breakdown thrown in toward the end, yet the song remains an almost perfectly formed pop song, which is by no means a minor feat. Following songs recall a Mars Volta that take themselves a little less seriously, but Tera Melos really reach their stride on 'Trident Tail' which exceeds 8 minutes, mixes jazz, reggae, prog rock and a plethora of other styles but never outstays its welcome and provides a constant barrage of good ideas.

'Frozen Zoo' continues in a Battles-like manner but adds a bouncing bassline to proceedings, then explodes into a repeated mantra of contempt. Other favourites include 'Skywatch' with its spiraling guitar lines and abstract trail-of-thought lyrical content (it is good.... honest, even if that description makes it sound just awful), and 'Another Surf' due to its blatant Dillinger Escape Plan homaging (I do like me some Dillinger).

Battles are musically the best point of reference I can provide but there are definite shades of The Mars Volta, Fang Island and Piglet, but make no mistake Tera Melos do carve out their own niche albeit one that is spattered with bits and pieces of almost every musical genre you can imagine, and even find time to throw in harmonies that recall Queen and Jellyfish into the mixing bowl (see the 9+ minute 'Party With Gina').

Frankly it's nice to hear a band with such a fondness for unusual song structures, where many bands are content to stick with the (admittedly) tried and trusted verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus formula. Tera Melos gleefully eschew such convention, but where some bands take obscurity too far and begin to meander, the songs Tera Melos crank out usually maintain interest (at least on this release) and more often than not do not overstay their welcome. This is impressive given that two of the album's tracks exceed 8 minutes but continue to entertain throughout their duration...oh ok...apart the noisy and admittedly tedious feedback outro of 'Party With Gina'.

One problem with this type of music is that it will just not appeal to certain music lovers. Given the frenetic pace, relative lack of focus and lack of traditionalist elements to music-making (their loss..... honestly!). It could also be argued that the majority of the time the instruments fail to find an appropriate role and wander slightly but, given that this is a Tera Melos record, this isn't necessary a bad thing as their unpredictable, off-kilter use of instruments - primarily guitar - forms an unshakeable part of their identity, and if the instruments were used in a more conventional way this may serve to lessen the blow of Tera Melos' decidedly unconventional approach to the music they create.

On occasion it is however the case that the vocalist seems to suffer under the manic pace of the instrumentation, and can tend to sound as if he is struggling to maintain a melodic stance above the chaos, and in some places this doesn't quite seem to gel as well as it should. Initially, the record seems to have hooks scattered amongst the songs after the initial poppy starting duo of 'So Occult' and 'Kelly' that require repeated listens in order to be fleshed out fully, which may exceed the patience of some people but the pay off is there. In conclusion, a messy record, spattered with bits and pieces of genius, ultimately unfocused, but nonetheless this is a very good piece of work.

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