Terravia – A New World

Progressive Metal/Rock outfit Terravia from Trondheim, Norway are relatively new on the scene. They formed in 2021 and having released several singles are now excited to present their debut album “A New World”. Comprising of a mere five tracks, the album is just under an hour long, and only one song is under ten minutes. So, buckle up for some epic stuff in true prog style.

There is a loose concept linking the songs which is human hubris and the inability to learn from past mistakes. Aptly the opening track has a title of ‘War!’ and starts in a suitably aggressive fashion. Along its long and varied journey brass instruments feature with Ingrid Lauten on trumpet and Jørgen Simarud Stabell on trombone. As you would expect there are solos, backing vocals and many time changes.

Two of the singles released prior to the album made it onto this debut. The second of the pair to be released was ‘The Origin’. The style of this song is a mixture of prog rock and prog metal with the momentum varying throughout. There are also some growls from keyboard player Øystein Myre thrown in and some great little guitar /bass flourishes.

Now comes the “short” number. ‘Strive to Endue’ is still 6 ½ minutes long and stands up well against its longer colleagues. Backing vocals on this one are from Tine Sköll Johansen. The song is about standing up to the bad stuff and working together instead of fighting each other.

The half-way point of the album has now been reached, which brings us to the other single from the album ‘Arcane Horizons’. This is a song about what the future could be like if previous mistakes can’t be learned from. It is stuffed full of guitar solos from Anders Danielsen and Øystein Helland and backing vocals from all. Extra keyboards are provided by guest Rohan Sharma

Then as is so often the case the real epic number has been saved until last. The title track takes up the last 17 minutes and 22 seconds of the album and is well worth the wait. As ‘A New World’ starts there is a strong Pink Floyd feel to it. Rohan Sharma makes a second guest appearance as well as Jørgen Krørger Mathisen on violin in this optimistic song. The story in this one is literally about travelling to a new world where mankind can start over. The hope is that the same mistakes won’t be made and the same traps will not be fallen into.

A track this long demands plenty of variety and that is precisely what we get. From the laid-back dreamy beginning it is a full 4 ½ minutes before the vocals come in. Gradually the song gains momentum with heavier parts and guitar lead breaks but always maintains an air of hope. It is a fitting finale to an enjoyable hour.

This is a band in its early days, although some members have had experience in other/previous bands. There’s no question though, they show great promise and have set the bar high for the next release whenever that might be. Apparently, the follow up is already underway writing wise. I’m sure this first album will be getting many plays in the meantime. Norway has produced many excellent prog bands, and I see no reason why this group shouldn’t join that list.

Track-List:

1. War!
2. The Origin
3. Strive to Endure
4. Arcane Horizons
5. A New World