The Great Deceiver - Terra Incognito

Nate The Great

What would Nathan do?
May 10, 2002
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The Great Deceiver – Terra Incognito
Peaceville – CDVILEF120P – 2004
By Nathan Pearce

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In 2002 The Great Deceiver unveiled itself as a force to be reckoned with in the hardcore universe. "A Venom Well Designed" caused a large uproar with extreme music lovers worldwide. Why? Because the great Tomas Lindberg does the vocals? NO! Because The Great Deceiver plays the best damn hardcore/metal hybrid this side of well . . . anybody.

New album "Terra Incognito" is pretty much in the same vein as "A Venom Well Designed". Clean, crisp production gives way to sharp and precise riffing, subtle electronics or effected guitar undertones, groove laden rhythm, and excellent hardcore yells, screams, and growls from none other than Mr. Lindberg. The main difference this time around on "Terra Incognito" is the way the songs seem to reflect themselves as more of a unified effort. I’m not saying "A Venom Well Designed" wasn’t cohesive or concise. I’m just trying to explain how The Great Deceiver now seems like a band that has been around the block. They now have a few gigs under their belts, and the songwriting process is now second nature. This is a natural evolution on a second album, and this is an evolution that only improves on the amazing display of hardcore innovation that The Great Deceiver established from the get go.

As their songs have become more “band” oriented, "Terra Incognito" shows The Great Deceiver becoming slightly more melodic at times. Don’t worry, though. I am not sensing ANY melodeath/hardcore tendencies that have become so popular in the USA. The Great Deceiver is a hardcore band first and foremost.

With their ability to innovate with subtle dynamics and effects, The Great Deceiver has quickly launched themselves to the level of such hardcore innovators as Snapcase and Burnt By the Sun. But The Great Deceiver manages to include enough aggression and melody to make the typical metalhead feel perfectly at home listening to what is essentially a hardcore band. "Terra Incognito" is easily on par with the band’s earlier work, and it is easily one of 2004’s best releases . . . and I doubt that will change throughout the remaining 9 months of the year.

9.5/10

The Great Deceiver’s Official Website
Peaceville’s Official Website
 
Giving this a second listen right now, really starting to enjoy it. The drums make me want to get up and dance like the white boy I am!
 
I just got the album in the mail yesterday. The thing that caught my attention the most was the change in Tomas' vocals. Once he started screaming on the first track, I almost wasn't sure if it was Lindberg. He sounds completely different than he did on A Venom Well Designed. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, but he just sounds like a different singer. I never thought of Tomas as a growler, but more of a screamer. But on this record, he seems to have changed to a growler and he does a hell of a job. I'm a huge fan of Tomas Lindberg and I have pretty much every album he's been a part of. He just has the most powerful scream of any metal singer I've heard. I'm a little disappointed that he didn't really show off that scream as much on this album, but his new style is still quite impressive.