Style: Progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater, Opeth, Nevermore, Trivium
Country: Norway
Release date: 2 March 2026

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The term “progressive music” has gone through a bit of recontextualization since its coinage. While prog was born from the passion to push the boundaries of existing genres, the movement’s focus seems to have shifted slightly from innovation to demonstrating technical mastery as years passed. This change in perspective is understandable: after decades of exploration and experimentation, little ground remains unbroken. Just like outside of music, progress, in the truest sense, is mostly made at the fringes and extremes these days, where not everyone can tread.¹ Of course, I’m oversimplifying, and life is teeming within the known borders, now more than ever, really. Multiple viable survival strategies exist: some, for example, double down on virtuosity or follow in the wake of giants, others bring in outside influences, and some try to reshuffle the prog deck to draw the winning hand. But where could a fledgling prog band go in this well-mapped landscape to carve out a niche of their own?

Terravia’s answer is to go everywhere. Listening to debut album A New World is like getting full prog metal bingo: concept album, B; lengthy, elaborate song structures with dense instrumentation sometimes incorporating brass and strings, I; wanky interludes with shifting time signatures culminating in a solo duel, N; Opethian switches from chill to savage, G; a not-so-great vocalist who almost ruins the whole thing, bingo!

Unfortunately, the vocals don’t do much to endear themselves. Mediocre harshes give way to unimpressive cleans, which can get downright cringey at certain moments. The lead singer’s default tough guy delivery is often in stark contrast with the lush instrumentals. It’s a shame, really, because Terravia clearly know how to write catchy vocal hooks, and all the other performances are superb. Even the bass gets its moments to shine, like that slap solo in “The Origin” that threatens me with permanent stank face. Impressive riffage is never absent, from thrashy aggression to alternate picking finesse and Ackerfeldtian heaviness. Still, the solos are what really stand out, reminiscent of John Petrucci’s more melodic work. The guitar-keyboard duels in “Arcane Horizons”, for instance, are a feast for the ears. For me, however, the drums end up stealing the show. Whether gentle, groovy, or frantic, every cranny of A New World is filled with thundering fills or intricate cymbal flourishes, all without overwhelming the rest of the composition. A particular highlight of this elegant kit-work is the masterful amping up of intensity during the intro of “A New World”.

From a stylistic point of view, Terravia’s most obvious inspirations come from Dream Theater, especially the prog legends’ 00s output. Flashbacks to Systematic Chaos or Octavarium are not uncommon during A New World‘s runtime. However, as mentioned earlier, the plethora of influences covers a much wider range: power prog theatrics and metalcore melodrama are expertly interwoven with classic prog rock sophistication and death metal brutality. Some of the vocal lines remind me of the catchier moments of Trivium, and, as is so often the case, the prog death elements invoke Opeth comparisons. Most of the familiar segments don’t cross the line from homage to rip-off—except the acoustic break followed by explosive death metal in “The Origin” that could have come straight from Deliverance. Thankfully, Terravia’s aspirations lie far beyond becoming a tribute band, and A New World is not bereft of original ideas. The drum-and-bass-led interlude morphing into the syncopated bridge supported by tasteful brass in the middle of War!, for example, makes me smile like a well-fed toddler every time. As a testament to the band’s excellent songwriting, A New World feels much shorter than it actually is, and I couldn’t confidently point to a single moment that feels unnecessary or redundant. Every idea gets enough time to breathe and then smoothly transitions to the next section before overstaying its welcome. 

Conceptually, A New World couldn’t be more relevant. Opening up with “War!”, the lyrics tackle the self-destructive tendencies of humanity, then gradually move over to more contemplative territory—dwelling on the possibility of starting over. The album’s thematic arc also serves as an allegory for the individual’s struggle with their own demons. For the cynical listener, these themes might sound trite—and some of the lyrics can be a bit clumsy—but generally, Terravia present their ideas with grace. Never does the album come across as overly preachy or naive, and the music constantly evolves in harmony with its subjects, building up to a satisfying and bittersweet conclusion. While the finale leans towards tentative optimism, it doesn’t feel corny or dishonest, as the setting implies that rock bottom has been hit.²

Despite thoroughly enjoying A New World, as I wrap up this review, I cannot escape a lingering bit of disappointment. With better vocals and a tad more originality, this record could have been a masterpiece. Alas, even though the band’s debut ticks so many of my boxes, Terravia‘s ambition yet seems to outstretch their grasp. Still, there’s plenty to love here: the mature concept, stellar instrumentals, and adventurous songwriting showcase insane levels of potential. With their daring but somewhat flawed debut, Terravia have put themselves firmly on my radar; they should be on yours too.

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Recommended tracks: War!, The Origin, A New World
You may also like:  Redshift, Voidchaser, Joviac, Sunburst, Maestrick
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Terravia is:
– Anders Danielsen (Electric/Acoustic guitars & Backing vocals)
– Petter Falk (Vocals, Acoustic guitars & Additional keyboards)
– Øystein Helland (Electric guitars & Backing vocals)
– Anders Kristiansen (Drums, Percussion, Marimba & Backing vocals)
– Kevin Meli (Bass guitars & Backing vocals)
– Øystein Myre (Keyboards & Vocals)

With guests:
– Rohan Sharma (Keyboards)
– Tine Sköll Johansen (Backing vocals)
– Jørgen Krøger Mathisen (Violin)
– Ingrid Lauten (Trumpet)
– Jørgen Simarud Stabell (Trombone)

1. Just look at the high scores on this blog in the past two years. There will be patterns to recognize. ↩︎
2. Though personally, I’d much prefer if we could all just collectively skip the Apocalypse and go straight to the “working together and learning from our past mistakes” part. Oh, who am I kidding… ↩︎