Termination Force delivers “Netherworld” and it features imaginative lyrics, top notch vocals, adept musicianship, and a host of catchy hooks throughout. It’s a well-done effort that leaves us wanting more!

Termination Force is a metal quartet from the UK with their roots planted firmly in thrash and power metal. Lyrically, their songs paint a vivid picture of a dystopian sci-fi world in the throes of a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Musically, there is everything you want to hear from the respective players and their instruments. Since the band features members of Toledo Steel and Desolator, there is a tangible feeling for their previous experience. They originally formed in 2021 and sought out to explore their shared love of late 80’s and early 90’s melodic metal from the USA and Germany.

This is an independent release which was recorded and mastered at Mutant Studios (Southampton UK), and features artwork by celebrated artist Daniel Porta (PitForge).

Here is the line up of the band:

Vocals – Rich Rutter

Guitars – Jamie Brooks

Bass – Samuel Whitbread

Drums – Neil Anderson

“Netherworld” by Termination Force is an imaginative piece of work that harkens back to a formative time in metal. The sounds and lyrics presented here weave a tale of a post-apocalyptic world full of danger and destruction. When listening to this EP, I hear the echoes from some of the great forefathers of metal: a splash of early Queensryche, a flash of Crimson Glory, and even a little bit of Saxon comes through.

While they’ve taken influences from some of the greats, they’ve built a sound all their own. First, the music is rock solid. There’s a great mix that allows each instrument to shine on their own. There’s a big bouncy bass sound against the bright solo work on guitar. The vocals soar and bite throughout. Drums rattle your teeth in time. It all comes together in an attractive metal package that will appeal to fans of power and thrash metal.

The track list is as follows:

1. After the Fall
2. Termination Force
3. Target Locked
4. Heart Racer
5. Netherworld

Every time I listen to this one, there is something else that reveals itself to me: a subtle inflection in the vocals, a bit of flair in a guitar riff, the chiming of the cymbals, and that big, delicious bouncing bass. I leaned in when getting to know this one and it’s rewarding. Let’s go track by track and dig deeper.

After the Fall – After the instrumental intro, Rich (Rutter – vocals) makes his presence known with a quick demonstration of his vocal prowess with a screech that nearly takes on proportions of the legendary Steve Turbo of Saber. As the song gathers momentum, he sings, “Blood and death feed the new empire/Only remnants of the past remain” and that’s when the listener knows exactly how this is all going to go down. The opening track has quite an epic feel to it and there’s a strong cohesiveness in the band. The song culminates with a searing solo from Jamie (Brooks – guitar). Needless to say, I’m intrigued.

Termination Force – We are transported to the year 2099 and put in a position to wonder if this is “the end of the line…” This tune gets after it pretty quick, and the storytelling aspect of the work is to be commended. Of course, let’s make sure to touch on how the music, motif, and vocals all go together. This is a hard charging tune with everything you want from such a competent group of musicians.

Target Locked – This is a stand-out track on the EP. It’s tight, moves fast, and is catchy in all the right places. The opening has Samuel (Whitbred – bass) dropping an ominous bass line that makes my teeth rattle and toes curl. Once again, Rich shines in his vocals as they soar to dizzying heights. All in, the band is at their finest on this one.

Heart Racer – Neil (Anderson – drums) opens this track with crashing and pulsing drums. Samuel drops another bass line for the ages as the duo settle into a fast-paced groove. It’s easy to call this the second track that demands your attention. I’d be remiss in not calling out the searing solo that Jamie conjures up here. It’s easy to see how this song will create a wild pit at a live show. It’s just that good.

Netherworld – The closing track is an epic one. Everything that is good about what this band does comes into play here. The vocals, guitar, bass, and drums are all in sync and come together in a crowd-pleasing track. It’s easy to picture an engaged crowd shouting “Netherworld” along with the band.

Wrapping Up

Termination Force has my attention, and I recommend that you give this yours. The lyrics have a lot of imaginative effort, and the thematic elements are weaved together into a cohesive flavour. On vocals, Rich screeches and growls his way through each song. Jamie delivers riff after riff and crushes every solo. Samuel is armed with a heavy-handed bass with juicy licks. Finally, Neil drops in his technical artistry on drums to round out the sound.

As I stated, I’m intrigued to see where this goes next. I can only imagine what a full album would bring in terms of the full vision and capability of the band. While this release is independent, I wouldn’t count on that lasting as any discerning label would do well to pick this band up for their adept technical artistry.

Constructively, I have little to offer in the big picture of this one. Maybe it would be to say, “do more of the same!”. There is very little to nit pick that would lead to anything of substance.

As always, I advocate supporting bands when they play live. Buy their music and show them love on their social media. Get behind this band and encourage them to grow and make more music.

Conclusion

This EP has the makings of becoming a classic in the lineage of what has serious potential. There is raw talent, creativity, and execution present already. What happens next is up to them, but could be quite great. Dig in to this one!

TheNwothm Score: 9/10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terminationforce

Bandcamp: https://terminationforceuk.bandcamp.com/