Sunday 30 August 2015

TEPHRA

BandTEPHRA
GenresPunk / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Doom
Related artistsThe Ocean and Hellblazer.
CountryBraunschweig GERMANY
Years Active2003-2011?
Song: "Watchin' the Ocean"
Album: "Tephra"
Year: 2005
Label(s): Riptide Recordings / Golden Antenna Records / Cyclone Empire
This post's artist is from the August 2015 Mix. This is track #12.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2015 Mix#9 here.
For fans ofAmber, Cult Of Luna, Light Bearer, Monuments Collapse, Isis, Sarin, Fall Of Efrafa, Nous Étions, Rosetta, The Ocean, Neurosis, Buried Inside, Anodes, Downfall Of Gaia, Examination Of The..., Back When, Castle, Gray Ghost, Black Sabbath, The Killing Tree, Lamb Of God, Spires and Titan.

TEPHRA was an influential German band that released their best material from the mid to late 2000s. If you know the following bands I don't even need to describe TEPHRA, Buried InsideTitan, Light Bearer and Amber. Oh you don't know those bands? Well then, TEPHRA basically drops 5 to 10 minutes of sludgy, doomy post-hardcore and post-metal with screamy/growly vocals that are never too high nor low - not unlike Isis, I'd say. They almost have a Lamb Of God and death metal feel but they never get that fast, heavy or intense - but by goly it's not far off.

From the band's 2005 self titled masterpiece 'Tephra' "Watchin' the Ocean" is the main gem here and it must have been a massive influence for fellow Germans Amber, as this sounds like a mishmash between them, Titan and Gray Ghost. The transition at 3:40 to the soft, subdued sounds is fucking awesome and gets me swaying along instantly. "Endless Horizon", "Icon" and "Through Our Veins" are also worth checking out and are epic in their construction and execution.

I'll be honest, I don't like almost all of 'Tempel' but "City Immersed in Dust" is an instrumental post-hardcore/post-metal beaut. I just assume that although this was released almost a decade after the band's debut it must have been written long, long ago. It's mostly classic rock/metal with heavy Neurosis and...I dunno...Black Sabbath influences? I do know that I don't like it. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the 2010 split with the phenomenal Omega Massif and felt that 2007's 'A Modicum of Truth' paled in comparison to the 2005 'Tephra' LP, so perhaps I just didn't much care for the band's stylistic shift.

The early 2003 'Demo' is a decent debut effort and brings Castle and Gray Ghost to mind but when paired with the 2005 LP not only do the songs lack the massive and engaging scale but also house a demo version from said 2005 LP.

Were TEPHRA phenomenal? No, but if you enjoy any of the bands listed in the "for fans of" section this should tickle your fancy at the very least. The complete band discography is up for download below.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2004 - Demo cd/12"EP

2005 - Tephra cd/12"LP

2007 - A Modicum of Truth cd/2x12"LP

2010 - Imperial Anthems No. 5 (split w/Omega Massif) 7"EP

2011 - Tempel cd/12"LP

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(2005) TEPHRA - "Watchin' the Ocean" (from 'Tephra')

(2005) TEPHRA - "Endless Horizon" (from 'Tephra')

(2007) TEPHRA - "Big Black Mountain" (from 'A Modicum of Truth')

(2004) TEPHRA - "Astral Fields" (from 'Demo')

(2011) TEPHRA - "City Immersed in Dust" (from 'Tempel')

(2010) TEPHRA - "Helioz Revolves" (from 'Omega Massif' split)

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TEPHRA out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)

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