Tera Melos and By The End of Tonight Go Head to Head

There is never a clear-cut winner in this game

Tera Melos/By The End Of Tonight

Complex Full of Phantoms

Released on Nov 30, -0001

4

I won’t name names; but at one time or another I’m sure we’ve all picked up that split CD, hoping it would harbor the best of both bands in it’s musical innards, afterwards sadly coming upon the realization that you’ve just wasted a good ten bucks. After a split like this, however, you may find yourself returning to your old naive ways. Complex Full of Phantoms, fresh from Temporary Residence, is a gleaming step forward for split CDs and instrumental math-rock bands alike.

It’s hard to tell whether By The End of Tonight won a coin toss or drew the short straw for the starting position on the album, regardless of the process, By The End of Tonight opened the album superlatively. Their half of the album contains some of their most powerful and awe-inspiring material to date, which is brutally evident on tracks like “Philithy Collins” and “Ghost Boat.” The complexity and ferocity are turned appropriately to eleven with By the End of Tonight’s conclusion to their half entitled, “Elvis Never Didn’t Die.”

Now on to round two. Never the group to be outdone, Tera Melos pulled out their big guns this time, culminating in a stunning second half. While the two bands have been known to have a similar sound in the past, this album portrays each bands subtle forte. Tera Melos starts off with a frenzy of well-constructed complexities in their tracks “555-9676” and “Party With Tina,” even ending the later of the two with a soothing horn movement. Their following tracks slow things down a bit with songs beautifully reminiscent of past Tera Melos albums, such as the albums finale “Last Smile For Jaron.”

With album releases from the likes of Explosions In The Sky and Mono, it really comes as no surprise that Temporary Residence could pull off yet another ridiculously intricate eye opener of an instrumental album. In this sense, Complex Full of Phantoms could prove to be a landmark for the label and a sign of good things to come.

High Point

Low Point

Posted by Andrew Scott on Feb 28, 2008 @ 12:00 am