Bands That Ended Too Soon - Terminal

Terminal 1998-2006

RIYL – old school Anberlin, Dead Poetic, Jimmy Eat World, Number One Gun

In this new series, we will be bringing to light many bands that showed us a brief but bright gem of music before disbanding. This entry is about the Tooth & Nail band – Terminal.

Don’t let the years above confuse you, though the band was active for 8 years, they only had 1 full length release.

Terminal was a band that erupted quickly and died the same. In 2005, their debut and only album titled How The Lonely Keep released on Tooth & Nail Records. The album received well deserved praise from both Christian and secular markets.

To the bone, the album is emo-tinged with angsty rock. But don’t let the emo tag pull you away. How The Lonely Keep isn’t a myriad of songs missing an ex-girlfriend. The lyrics are refreshing and delivered in a way unique to Terminal. Many of the lyrics though darkly themed, are about wanting to go back to better times, fighting and dealing with depression, a marriage gone wrong, and a friend’s suicide. In many ways, Terminal tackles many unfortunate events that may happen in someone’s life. There are no solutions or real conclusions to the themes; much simpler, the songs just delve into the issue and fight with it.

What makes this singular album so memorable all these years later is the musicianship from all members. There are no 3 chord songs played at a fast pace for a total of 40 minutes and then it’s over. Each song is significantly different than its predecessor. There are guitar solos placed throughout that seem like they belong there – not just solos for the sake of themselves. There are style changes giving each song their own flavor. Take the tracks “Miss Louisiana” and “City By The Sea” for perfect examples.

A lyric from the album that sticks with the listener comes in “Miss Louisiana:” “I have to keep on moving, or I get lost in all I’m losing. I stay drifting through my head with the static you love.”

The album ends with Foster. A song that thematically fits between As Cities Burn’s “Timothy” and Hawk Nelsons’ “Zero.”

Unfortunately, the band lived up to its own name. Shortly after the album came out, all members split save for the vocalist – Travis Bryant.

If any of this interested you, I’d highly recommend checking them out, or maybe it’s been 10 years since you’ve last remembered their names. It’s a great album and a shame we never saw a sophomore effort.