The Duo of Herra Terra seemed to come out of nowhere when their signing was announced by The Mylene Sheath. Seemingly no prior releases could be found and just the usual myspace was available to see online. What was noted early on is that Herra Terra were going to be the odd band out on the label. Known generally for thought out shimmering and heavy post metal and rock bands it is an odd catch on their part. Comparisons to Depeche Mode and Head Automatica were made and I'm here to say that neither are too far off in reality. While the duo to have vaguely post rock style builds and breaks the main concern is on the hook. Whether this means utilizing vocal overdubs or keyboard loops it is all on display here.
The vocals would be the first thing to mention. Sometimes bordering on a tone reminiscent to David Gahan. This only helps to strengthen the Depeche Mode Comparison. While this is the case there are ways to go for the vocalist to carry the charisma of Gahan's vocals. This is not to say anything truly bad about them as they certainly add to the songs rather than making for a jarring listening experience. The keyboard play counterpoint to the vocals making for a large role on the disc and being fully embraced in the songs. The keyboards at any point may be playing a piano like pensive role or washing above the mix to give things an atmospheric quality. All creating a strong bed for the other instruments. The drums certainly play a strong role in any band playing the dance rock style and the case is the same here. while the drums are generally credited as being played by humans they shift from sounding acoustic to programmed from song to song. The big shift is in the use of guitars as they seep out from under the mix in certain songs making for a more forceful showing overall and allowing a bit more humanity to come through in the tracks.
The production is glossy and massive making the songs pop out at the listener. This style of production is perfect for their style. Everything can be heard with perfect clarity no detail is left out.
As always with The Mylene Sheath releases the artwork is suited for the music. The artwork, which is comprised of space pictures courtesy of NASA, helps to give the release a strong reference point as well as offering the listener a place to get lost in while listening. Overall everything about this release is strong and has immense potential. Sadly, one can't help but see through the music and stare directly at their influences. So while the songs are very well written all around Herra Terra has to use those influences as their foundation rather than their sound in and of itself.
