TEPHRA - A Modicum Of Truth (2007)

I feel like there were a lot of albums that came out around 2007 that sounded like Isis / Neurosis etc. TEPHRA was one of those bands. I actually heard of them first because my friends in Tornavalanche were touring with them in Europe. The two bands didn't really sound very similar, but that was sometimes more fun and exciting than two bands that are very similar.

If I had to compare this to one band in particular, I'd say Old Man Gloom. It kind of sounds like some of the later Old Man Gloom records (NO and The Ape of God) which actually would have come out after this record.

Check this album out, though. I feel like it's a pretty great example of post metal and is largely forgotten.

Review by Powerban at Sputnik Musik

Tephra reside in Germany and mimick a sound that has seen a massive rise in the last few years in the metal scene. The moniker being the much hated term "Post-Metal". While hated by bands and fans alike, it seems it's here to stay. You can clearly see one of their main influences right from the get-go. Neurosis definitely has to be one of the inspirations while composing their music, which trudges loudly, unrelentingly and catastrophically amongst sunsets.

"When large amounts of tephra accumulate in the atmosphere from massive volcanic eruptions (or from a multitude of smaller eruptions occurring simultaneously), they can reflect light and heat from the sun back through the atmosphere, in some cases causing the temperature to drop, resulting in a climate change: "volcanic winter". Tephra mixed in with precipitation can also be acidic and cause acid rain and snowfall."

I can't think of a more fitting name for a band rooted in sludge, but exploring post-metal. Tephracreate such a dense atmosphere that the air around you sometimes doesn't feel like it has any oxygen in it. You can literally feel the agony in Ercüment's vocals in some moments of this album, such as the song In The End where his haunting vocals are chilling when the music takes a backseat to his screams which again, sound like they're from your typical Neurosis record. If I were to describe his vocals in full then it would seem as if Steve Von Till (Neurosis) and Klas Rydberg(Cult Of Luna) combining both their vocal talents into one voice.

The music is structured a little more simply in comparison to those two aforementioned bands, The sludgey riffs can become repetitive and even overpowering at times, demanding the typical person to have a break from them, or totally quit on them. One album highlight, and the most accessible of all their songs is the first actual track on the album Big Black Mountain with a chunky riff that seems like it could be on one of your favorite Mastodon records and only clocking in at a short four minutes and two seconds. The other song worth mentioning is the albums closer In The Valley which features some nice soothing female vocals and some chilled out music amongst what seems like an unstoppable force, before trudging out like your typical post-metal cd outro.

This isn't anything new at all, Nor is it refreshing. It's definitely worth a listen of you like post-metal or even just Neurosis but it can become boring from what it seems as a lack of direction in some parts.

Recommendations:
Big Black Mountain
Until The End
In The Valley