From Bandcamp, “TEMIC are just one album in, but to reach this point, this supergroup had to navigate quite the career maze.  Their idea wasn’t exactly simple: orchestrate their love for high-energy electronica and killer melodies into a modern Prog-Metal band. TEMIC managed to pull that concept off, and “Terror Management Theory” is layered with twists and turns.” The album has ten songs.

“TMT” is first, a short instrumental, consisting of piano notes and a somber tone, along with some electronic elements that have an ominous tone to them. “Through the Sands of Time” has smooth, harmonized vocals over a backbone of hard structures, and the melodies are amazing…bright and emotionally impactful. “Falling Away” is another winner. The band clearly knows how to balance melody with aggression, and the swells in the music create a rousing and dynamic sound. Factor in their musicianship, and forget about it. “Skeletons” is a thoughtful song that showcases both the band’s talent in songwriting and their instrumental prowess. One only needs to listen to the smoking leads, bass work, keyboards, and fantastic drumming to  hear that.

“Acts of Violence” has smoother, rounder tones, with some great vocal harmonies, followed by a harder structure that will feed the mouths of Metal fans. What this shows for me is a complete band, who have everything in their repertoire. “Friendly Fire” begins with a big helping of keyboards. A stimulating passage follows, with more meter shifts and riff changes that you can count. “Paradigm” is another song with emotive vocals, and a heavy bottom end, and there is tension in the air, so thick at times it could make you choke. The band keeps the listener on the edge of their toes throughout this song, anxiously awaiting that big moment that crashes down upon you like a sudden tempest of rain. “Once More” strikes a wonderful balance between emotional elements, especially in the vocals, and strong, ardent structures at the other end. I don’t believe I have heard any album this year where this balance is more evident.

“Mothallah” closes the album, and it is mired in a darker sound, but the kind that you can reach out and grab. Again, the musicianship is fantastic. Many “supergroups” fall quite short for me as artists. They lack that synergy, where the parts are greater than the sum or that je ne sais quoi if you will. What sets this quartet apart from this is their ability to balance their talent with songwriting. They have both in massive doses. Just when you think they have settled on a core sound, their shift again, but only within the context of the album structure as a whole. The album is enthusiastic, stimulating, industrious, and wonderfully melodic. It’s time to start mentioning TEMIC with the giants of the genre.