Terra Black Premiere “In Stone” Video; Mirage Out Sept. 18
Gothenburg’s Terra Black will release their second album, Mirage, on Sept. 18 through Bonebag Records. A video for the first single “In Stone” premieres below. It is their second full-length following All Descend (review here), which was self-released in ’23 and picked up by Bonebag for broader distribution the next year, and it presents itself with an expanded take on stoner idolatry as opening track “The Gathering” goes from Sleep-style here’s-the-tone-go-live-in-it strum and slowed-down early-Tool chug while building into a march that grows broader and more righteous as it goes; the album itself operating not dissimilarly across its eight songs and 43 minutes. The subsequent “Guayota” builds on the opener, harnessing a Monolordian nod offset and complemented by the calm and melodic vocals, not quite soothing like ‘oh you just got run over by a very heavy riff are you okay?’ but brooding with a subtle grunge seethe, adding to the atmosphere ahead of the quiet stretch later in the second half of the song. If there’s a template — no, there isn’t.
At least it doesn’t feel that way, and that very much becomes a strength in their sound. Instead, Terra Black seem to be offering a fresh and exploratory take on modern-style capital-‘h’ Heavy, and ambience is part of it, as the obscure-spoken-word-topped “Thorn” soon shows in rounding out the presumed finish of side A, but is also palpable in “Pareidolia” just before, which is a build over the course of its first minute and comes to crush with due bassy flow, takes a quick breather, then returns like in the meme, vocals reaching out from deeper in the mix but cutting through effectively and hinting toward the more complex melodic take that surfaces in Mirage‘s back half in pieces like the aforementioned “In Stone” and “Ruins” ahead of “In Stars,” which closes. I know I’m jumping around a bit, and I know the record’s not out for two more months, but as side B works shortest-to-longest with opener “Maze” following “Thorn” as the most uptempo moment on offer — a hooky, garage-tinged swing, psychmaxxing with a 
swirl of guitar following its lumbering bridge, feeling lush in the vocals in a way that very much works, low end punching through behind; a preface — the palette expands accordingly.
Intersecting vocal, sometimes-duet lines top “In Stone” as the bass that “Maze” heralded comes forward early over steady hi-hat timekeeping, and there’s another build, but Terra Black‘s patience isn’t to be discounted. It’s not until after three minutes into the total 4:49 that they hit into full volume/tonality, and the sense of dwelling remains even as they roll out the crescendo soon enough to thud to its finish of residual guitar, but while it doesn’t take long in Earth minutes, they’re occupying a deeper plane. Both “Ruins” and “In Stars” top six minutes (the latter is the longest inclusion on the album at 6:46), and “Ruins” brings morose post-Electric Wizard plod while expanding the dual-vocal ideology of “In Stone” and subtly moving at a decent clip. The basic level of impact — looking at you, kickdrum — isn’t to be taken for granted, as when the drums drop out to leave the vocals and guitar at the end, the difference is stark, the breathy voices giving over to the guitar and maybe keys at the outset of “In Stars,” which feels more open than crushing and gives due reach in melody to top off what Terra Black have already accomplished in that regard.
Don’t mistake, the finale is plenty, plenty heavy, and broadly speaking, Mirage brings enough riffs for the whole class to chew on, but the way they capture a sense of spaciousness in “In Stars” also feels like a departure that “In Stone” and “Ruins” were pushing toward — a realization as much as a culmination. It gorgeous, heavy, complex, immersive, and given its due payoff, making Mirage feel all the more complete while giving a forward-looking impression at the finish as if to say the best is yet to come. And so it may be, but right now — or at least in September — Terra Black find nuance and expression in weighted atmospheres and thoughtfully crafted, slow-rolling churn. They are not easy to tag in terms of style, and that only makes me appreciate the record more.
You’ll find the clip for “In Stone” on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Terra Black, “In Stone” video premiere
Preorder link: https://bonebagrecords.com/products/pre-order-terra-black-mirage-12-marble-vinyl
Following their acclaimed debut and recent signing to Bonebag Records, Gothenburg occult rock collective Terra Black return with their haunting new single, ‘In Stone’, the first offering from their forthcoming album, Mirage, due for release on 18th September.
Steeped in ancient mystery and crushing atmosphere, ‘In Stone’ explores the unsettling pull of forgotten worlds and the unseen forces that continue to shape the present. The song evokes the feeling of being trapped within something timeless – a world that should have ended long ago yet still refuses to release its grip.
“‘In Stone’ is about the ominous threat of the hidden and otherworldly,” explains the band. “It’s being stuck in something ancient, like you’re part of a world that already ended a long time ago, but it’s still not finished with you. Old worlds, old beliefs, and everything beneath the surface that refuses to disappear. Forever merged in stone.”
Written and recorded over the course of three years, Mirage is Terra Black’s most ambitious and immersive work to date. Travelling from roots buried deep beneath the earth, through the ruins of forgotten civilizations and into the silence of space, the album explores shifting states of existence where reality, memory and illusion become increasingly difficult to separate.
Recorded live by the band in Gothenburg, Mirage captures the raw immediacy of Terra Black’s performances. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the band embraced natural room ambience and microphone bleed, allowing the recording to retain an honest, organic character that mirrors the weight and intensity of the music itself.
Mirage, the brand-new album by Terra Black will be released via Bonebag Records on 18th September.
Tags: Bonebag Records, Gothenburg, Mirage, Sweden, Terra Black, Terra Black Mirage
