The dichotomy change/evolution is ever present when you’re an artist. When it comes to music – and specially extreme music – the maelstrom of influences you’re constantly exposed to (both inbound and outbound) make you move forward every single day. And this is where the dichotomy comes in... Are you a different person when you wake up each day or just a more evolved version of your yesterday self?
Tersivel’s new record, “To The Orphic Void”, is such an album to propose exactly the same question. The Argentinian/Swedish band has been morphing its genre approach from power/symphonic metal to folk inspired death metal and back, in a handful of releases since 2005, including two full-length albums, two EPs and a split release. And yet, the changes/evolution you can find in this new set of songs are something unexpected, even for a trio which has been using their fans to expect the unexpected.
“I think it is simply our way of growing old, our way of stretching ourselves through time with honesty”, guitarist and vocalist Lian Gerbino says. “In my case, I just want to use my time on Earth to improve on the things I care for. Is that evolution or change? Or both? Or none? I don’t know. In this sense, music comes like a bridge between our previous self and the current one. And it will provide a bridge to our future self as well”.
The morphing and intense amalgamation of post-metal, death metal, progressive approach to composition and odd arrangements and instrumentation is quite imposing at the first listening of “To The Orphic Void”. Yes, Gojira, Enslaved and even early Opeth come to mind, but only because probably no one was expecting Tersivel to move forward this much.
“Distance is a factor, of course”, Lian concurs, talking about the composition split between two different countries, two different time zones, two different continents. “But with today’s technology is not as difficult as it was before. It’s different, yes, but neither better nor worse, and, as with most of the things in life, we can only work with the things we really have. Sometimes, there’s less room for group experimentation but more space to work on ideas on a deeper intellectual level. Other times, the spark of creativity comes from just one of the guys, and the rest of us build on top of that. We never know when the muse will call upon us, but we can be ready for that moment, that’s under our control”.
Whatever happens, “To The Orphic Void”, the third Tersivel studio album, will be a mark in the trio’s career. If the music industry will embrace it for its quality and the questions it asks, that’s another story that revolves around the actual quality still meaning anything in today’s musical scene. But “The The Orphic Void” world, ready to embrace the musical voyager that dares into its realm with heart and soul, is immune to that. After all, all the band wanted was to make the best album possible of Tersivel.21.
“I remember how I felt when we were composing it”, Lian says. “It was a rough time for me, a kind of dark time of reflection and self-improvement. In a way, this album was meant to be like an answer to me, but it only brought on more questions. However, there’s something that I think we achieved with this album, in terms of our own emotions, which is that it comes much closer to being a spiritual experience rather than mere entertainment”.
Tersivel is an Argentinian/Swedish band based in Malmö, Sweden. Officially founded in 2004 in Argentina.
Tersivel is a band of altering genres, perhaps centered around vivid soundscapes, where death/doom and post- metal converge. Paganism and heathenry, along with philosophical themes, are the lyrical spine providing support to the emotions of their music.
Tersivel have released two full-lengths and a bunch of singles and EPs: “Embers Beneath The Spirit” (2020), “Satyr’s Wine part II” (2018), “Worship of the Gods” (2017), “For One Pagan Brotherhood” (2011), among others.
Tersivel’s “To The Orphic Void” will be released in CD and digital formats via UPRISING! Records on February 11th, 2022.
Line-up:
Lian Gerbino – vocals, guitars, bass, noise
Franco Robert – keyboards, synths
Danny Ebenholtz – drums, percussion
Webshop:
https://bit.ly/tersi-to
Web:
Official site
Spotify
Bandcamp
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