Album Review: Teramaze - Are We Soldiers

Certain bands have you scratching your head, wondering why they aren’t bigger than they are. This Aussie heavy band formed in Geelong a quarter of a century ago and are about to release their sixth high quality album. They should be a household name in progressive and power metal circles, but somehow through the unfathomable vagaries of the music industry and its followers, that's not the case. 

Are We Soldiers is another monumental slab of power-tinged progressive metal from this five-piece, chock-full of huge songs, high level musicianship, soaring vocals and shining production. Let’s focus on the most important part of that equation for a moment, those songs. Main man Dean Wells and his band have crafted some real doozies here, some of the best of their career, all culminating in the epic, emotionally charged 12-minute closer Depopulate. Not only are the tunes thrilling, it’s also great to see them tackling some pretty important and meaningful topics within those songs, such as anti-war themes, the overly controlled nature of our societies and the post-truth age we live in.

All ten tracks on offer here are strong, with not a weak link to be found. If there was any justice in the world, this would be the record that truly breaks this band worldwide. But will it? Well, that lies fairly and squarely in the lap of the metal gods, but here’s hoping it brings the success that this hard-working, talented and above all persistent band deserves.