Tellurian Rupture

The Eruption in question seems more of the volcanic than the Van Halen variety judging by the themes of natural vengeance on Tellurian Rupture. The quintet from Slovenia nonetheless possess shredding skills, though use them more in the manner of Paradox and Artillery, building up edge-of-the-seat thrashy momentum without spilling over into harsh vocals or losing their melodic edge. The vocals of Klemen Kalin indeed ought to be the main talking point, since they transform most of the songs into either more visceral or catchier efforts than they might otherwise be, something immediately obvious from the manner that 'The Awakening' primarily attacks and then opts to consolidate with a calmer chorus. Choruses also strike cleanly in ‘Praise the Serpent Queen’ and the pseudo-title track, while ‘Worms’ and ‘Aegeon’s Wrath’ push the pedal to the floor in full-on Sanctuary style power-infused splendour.

Despite sticking to more familiar thrash staples, the instrumentalists manage to bring their own touch to the recording, flitting between the rhythmic riffing that predominates in 'Coffin Bred' and melodic parts that highlight the soft/hard dynamics at play. Particularly of note are the solos, avoiding standard shredding outbursts and instead cutting shapes relevant to the song's thematic content. Many a time that content revolves around the alarming consequences of humanity's actions on the world, which the additional urgency of the heavier parts adequately represents. As a result, every song on Tellurian Rupture straddles the line between hard-fought victory and urgent warning.


Originally written in edited form for Metalegion #12 - www.metalegion.com