Tera Melos

by Jason Lymangrover
Melding the aggression of punk with the technical intricacies of prog rock, math rock trio Tera Melos use jerky shifts in time signatures and disjointed guitar noodling that bears a close resemblance to Don Caballero and Hella. Like their counterparts in instrumental rock, finger-tapped guitar parts are the centerpiece, complemented by angular bass riffs and splintered spaz-jazz drumming, but contrasting dynamics are a bigger focus of the band's songs, with ambient electronics and sparse vocal lines occasionally incorporated into the interludes to offset some of the more convoluted and noisier sections. Following stints in hardcore projects No Regard, Hoods, and Stabbed in the Throat, guitarist Nick Reinhart, drummer Jeff Worms, and bassist Nate Latona started Tera Melos in 2004. Months after forming, they started playing shows, making an immediate impact on the Sacramento live circuit with chaotic live performances that demonstrated their ability to play while doing cartwheels, guitar stands, and amp flips. Their first album, Tera Melos, was self-released in 2005. Heavy touring followed and, exhausted by life on the road, Worms left the band to settle down shortly after recording the Drugs to the Dear Youth EP. Vince Rogers came in as a replacement drummer, touring continued, and the band found solace in the roster of Sargent House, home of similar-minded artists These Arms Are Snakes and Maps & Atlases. Drugs to the Dear Youth was re-released on CD that year, and a five-song split with By the End of Tonight followed, alongside extensive U.S. touring with Heavy Heavy Low Low and the Fall of Troy.