(((O))) : Tera Melos – X-ed Out

When I first discovered Sargent House it was truly a musical epiphany in my life. The US based label set up by Cathy Pellow not only has a roster of exceptional acts, but also a modus operandi like no other label. Tera Melos are one of the Sargent House acts I happen to know already, having eagerly grabbed a download (from Bandcamp) of Patagonian Rats, their previous album.

X-ed Out is the latest album in a succession of manic, triumphant and just plain out-there offerings from the Sacramento band. The 3 piece, comprised of Nathan Latona, Nick Reinhart and John Clardy make the kind of edgy, punky math rock that has the urge to pickle your head with its off-kilter rhythms, quirky angular sounds and tumbling percussive beats. I’m pulling no punches here, this is not an easy listen, but give it repeated plays and it becomes a very rewarding listen.

Opener ‘Weird Circles’ sets the tone with its stop/start timing underpinned by a chugging guitar sound borrowed from ‘The Eye Of The Tiger’. ‘New Chlorine’ has pulses of Pixies surging through it and is probably the most commercial track. There’s a joyful moment in ‘Bite’ when steel drums (or at least a steel drum sound) playfully enters proceedings.

One of two downbeat tracks that have little or no percussion, ‘Snake Lake’ is the nearest Tera Melos come to a ballad. It’s affecting and a welcome release from all the clattering chaos that surrounds it. ‘No Phase’ is painted with a similar hue. ‘Melody Nine’ bounces along nicely on a steel drum flurry (perhaps someone has a new guitar effect?) and maintains the quirk level at 11. ‘Sunburst’ is a clattering, riotous affair with every sound tumbling over the top of the next at break neck velocity, echoing prime time Sebadoh.

As the album closes, Tera Melos pushed my freaky tolerance to a whole new level with the brain scrambling ‘Surf Nazis’, which throws every available item they had in the studio that wasn’t strapped down into the mix. Somehow, they manage to turn this into a bizarre mash-up of The Beach Boys and Dinosaur Jnr. Finally, the hushed tones of title track (of sorts) ‘X’ed Out and Tired’ lullabies us all back to dreamworld, the overload of psychotic spiky guitars having ebbed away back into the choppy seas.

As an introduction to Sargent House, Tera Melos might not be representative of the wider range of acts (also home to And So I Watch You From Afar, No Spill Blood, Chelsea Wolfe and Russian Circles). They are however, an enthralling, frenetic and supremely energetic act who deserve a wider audience, much like the label they reside on. All Hail Sargent House and their Bright Futures.