Band – Terminalist
Album – The Crisis As Condition
Country of Origin – Denmark
Genre – Thrash Metal
Release Date – September 8, 2023
Label – Indisciplinarian
Author – Benjamin Boggs
Unrelenting and unforgiving, Terminalist have delivered another gnarly slab of electric metal that transcends genres. Established in 2018, Terminalist evoke the spirit of 80-90’s thrash, but that is where the comparisons stop. Equal parts thrash, technical death and black metal, the band call their style ‘hyperthrash’”. Throw everything you love about these genres into a blender, and you’ll only start to scratch the surface.
On their latest release The Crisis as Condition, we witness the band unleashing a literal maelstrom of abrasive fury. The album showcases several styles within extreme metal, highlighting the unflinching power of speed metal. The song Last Remains begins with jangly new wave guitars only to break away into a black metal blitzkrieg, finally transitioning into one of the tightest thrash riffs on the album. The joy in discovering this band is how natural their influences shine without ever being a derivative copycat of the days of old.
Regarding the lyrical content on the new release, singer, guitarist, and lyricist Emil Hansen states:
Wherever we look, our modern world is entangled in crises. Whether it’s the energy crisis, the inflation crisis, the corona crisis, the war in Ukraine, deepening political polarization, or the overarching climate crisis, things seem to be headed for the worst. The crisis is no longer a phase in passing or a simple challenge to overcome, it’s become a permanent condition… The future is not what it used to be.
At just under a half hour, these six tracks showcase a tasteful technical ability that still puts songwriting at the forefront. These songs are catchy, brutal, and groovy all at the same time. Sonically, this album jumps out of my speakers and commands respect. If this is our soundtrack heralding the era of ‘Crisis as Condition’, then I welcome the beginning of the end. This album slays!
