Unlike most scenes that professed musical freedom, nu-metal soon got constrained by rules and regulations; bands soon found the genres limits, then played within those boundaries. Thankfully, TETRARCH are here to rewrite the rulebook and their latest album, The Ugly Side Of Me, does just that. Since their formation in 2007 they’ve been honing their sound into a white hot laser beam of sonic fury and, as the scene undergoes something of a renaissance, find themselves at the spearhead of the genre’s revival.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that life is cyclical and trends come and go, and when nu-metal hit the skids in the 2000’s it was hard to believe that it would ever return, but when bands like TETRARCH are delivering such a feisty sound, it’s now understandable and unsurprising. However, categorise this band at your peril because they deftly defy easy definition and pull inspiration from a myriad of sources. Opening song ‘Anything Like Myself’ is a bombastic affair that comes heavily laden with groove and throws its weight around like a bar-room brawler; it’s dangerous and delivers all sorts of unorthodox moves. At once heavy and melodic, this track (and indeed, the whole album) expresses all that’s good about the genre. Once the band lock in and deliver their signature sound, all sorts of emotions are brought to the surface in the listener. The band reach deep inside and pull out notes and melodies that cut to the quick. It means that sometimes The Ugly Side Of Me can be an uncomfortable listen, but good art should always be challenging and open new perspectives, and that’s exactly what this album does, opening doors to the deepest recesses of your mind.
Sometimes as critics we can overanalyse music, and if the above paragraph made The Ugly Side Of Me seem cerebral, then that’s because it is, tracks like ‘The Only Thing I’ve Got Left’ come loaded with symbolism. Yet, this record can also be enjoyed on a more visceral level; it affords plenty of opportunity for moshing, which means these songs are sure to transfer well to the live environment and you can almost see the pits erupting when the band unleash the caustic ‘Crawl’ and the callous ‘Cold’. With none of these ten songs breaking the four-minute barrier, TETRARCH don’t use two notes when one will suffice and this only adds to the band’s power; they’re focused and start sonic fires with every song.
Album number three finds TETRARCH striking gold and ready to take on the world.
- The Ugly Side Of Me is released via Napalm Records on 9th May 2025.
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Track List:
1. Anything Like Myself
2. Never Again (Parasite)
3. Live Not Fantasize
4. Erase
5. The Only Thing I’ve Got
6. Best Of Luck
7. Crawl
8. Cold
9. Headspace
10. The Ugly Side Of Me
