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Terminal Function > Clockwork Sky > Reviews
Terminal Function - Clockwork Sky

It’s Raining Stiff Mechanical Chugs… Hallelujah - 58%

bayern, April 6th, 2019

Yeah, and this is the reason why I avoid going out too much these days; it’s been going for a while, though, this not very pleasant chuggy rainy season… I’ve heard it’s taken quite a few victims in the past few years, expanding its area of influence, slowly but surely, never staying in the spotlight for too long, stealthily abducting individuals and later converting them into loyal advocates to its dystopian, robotic cause.

No, I refuse to fall prey to its pernicious snare and will continue to ward off its attacks which are not that life-threatening, truth be told; it’s just that I have to get used to the situation and accept the fact that some of my favourite acts would invariably be seduced by the anti-melodic, mechanistic sounds of Meshuggah and their clones, and will embrace the djent and the chug more or less readily, sacrificing quite a bit from their previous vision and creative flair.

The band under scrutiny here are the-next-in-line addition to this not very exciting group, and although their excellent debut displayed some predilections towards the mechanized polyrhythmic puzzles of their mentioned compatriots, it was by no means clear that they would surrender whole-heartedly to this cold dispassionate branch of our favourite metal. If said debut was an appetizing technical/progressive death metal conglomerate which at times even touched the dazzling repertoire of another eminent Swedish outfit, Theory in Practice, the album here has very few claims at originality and thinking outside the narrow scholastic, djent-shaped box.

In other words, jubilation won’t be exactly the name of the game for those who fell in love with the first outing as the moment the abrasive triggered guitars from “Seraph Sublime” enter the scene, the listener will realize that the rules have been altered regardless of the striking melodic lead guitar work that makes circles around the stiff rigid riff-patterns which easily cross over djent territory, making more stylish occurrences (“The Reticent Race”) sound like involuntary spasms of past glories’ reminiscence. Not many of those here, unfortunately, as the jumpy emotionless chugs are everywhere, closing their eyes for a couple of more flexible, more technical walkabouts on “The Quintessential Sequence Part 3 The Incoherent Demon”, and for the surprisingly dynamic beginning of “Spectral Encagement” which creates the illusion that this opus may as well swing towards the much more exciting delivery of the debut. Yes, the band like teasing the audience with references to their earlier exploits, but those illusions won’t last longer although even the biggest detractors won’t help but acknowledge the supremely beautiful melodic tunes on “Ablation Renewed”, another oasis amidst the dystopian Mad Max-like landscape.

The “gruff deathy vs. clean attached” vocal duel is just another banal gimmick, the guys apparently aware of which direction they were going, the one of conformity and monotony, trying to insert as many conventional ingredients as possible. The mentioned melodic digressions are clearly the highlight, and although it’s true that the listless one-dimensional background makes them more prominent, it would be really hard for one to go back to this recording just to hear those once again; how would he/she be able to tolerate the prevalent militaristic, not so futuristic anymore, robotic march.

Well, there are definitely fans who will make more sense of these mechanical sounds, and they should also track down immediately the last two EP’s that the band have produced as they follow the same trajectory with the obligatory winks at the not so abstract past. Winks, nods, allusions… teasing the fanbase here and there, and maybe, just maybe, promising a total recall once the appetite for all things stiff and mechanical has been satiated. Because this rainy season has been going for too long…

I expected better - 80%

Writhingchaos, January 22nd, 2016

Oh they finally put out a second album. I gotta say that I’ve been waiting for it for a while now. I mean, 7 years now. Their first album Measuring The Abstract was quite the quirky masterpiece taking influence from the Swedish masters Meshuggah and tech-death maniacs Theory In Practice with touches of prog and jazz-fusion (think Allan Holdsworth) in the mix. Even though it was a bit patchy in places, I still have to admit I loved the heck out of it.

I’ll be the first to answer the question that all of you probably have: No it’s not as good as Measuring The Function. Speed and aggression definitely seem to be the key players here, plus the guitar tone has been beefed up from the slightly weak tone of their debut, while the drums have gotten tighter, as compared to the previous album where they had more of an improvisational feel. Vocals are pretty much the same, no complaints or anything exceptional on that front.

Unfortunately they also seem to have done away with some of the elements that made them so unique in the first place, clean vocals, ethereal keys and the clean guitar sections first of all. I’m all up for a band change its style for the better, but sections of this album sound like generic outtakes from any random djent band out of the million generic djent records floating around these days. Less attention seems to have been given to melody and almost gone are the heavy/slow dynamics of the past album. What a shame indeed. Plus the songwriting seems to have taken quite a hit; the songs just aren't that memorable. The first three songs are quite straightforward and generic in that regard. Wow.The two words I never thought I would use while talking about a Terminal Function record, but there you go. Just proves that anything is possible.

Okay maybe that was harsh. I mean these guys still do have it for the most part, but I can’t help but feel underwhelmed here. Maybe the wait of seven years was too long for me to take and I unintentionally built up my expectations for this album to such a high point that it was impossible for them to satiate my tastes no matter what. I’ll be damned if I know. Although I have to say that the solos still rule with the same spidery liquid legato feel to them. Just wish there were more.

However all is not lost as “The Reticent Race”, “Spectral Encagement” and “Cell Intrusive” do hearken back to the days of their debut plus “Spectral Encagement” almost sounds like a lost track of Theory In Practice. The intro of “Cell Intrusive” almost sounds like something Animals As Leaders would do, with a really cool floating progressive vibe. The next song “Intrastrophe” merges brutality with a melodic undertone quite well and finally “Ablation Renewed” brings the fast and choppy side of tech-death with the alien leads as the perfect backdrop leading to a cinematic ending. The clean vocals just sound odd though, really not needed guys. Ditch that shit when not needed already. Lastly “The Quintessential Sequence” is quite an ambitious if not partially successful prog death metal song (if you’re willing to look at it as a 12 minute song) with some interesting riffs and transitions here and there, especially towards the end.

If you’re a fan, I’d still say you should definitely pick this up. However if you are just starting out with their music, I’d suggest you pick up Measuring The Abstract first and subsequently work your way up from there.