Band: Thera
Title: The Aftermath
Label: N/A
Release Date: 2008
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
01. The Aftermath
02. The Downpour
03. If I Lose Heart
Female fronted rock bands seem to come in very stereotypical packages these days. Like somehow the music has to follow a very strict formula in order for it to overcome the non-male lead in a male-dominated market. Very rarely do these bands try to break the mold.
Enter Thera… a 5-piece out of Anchorage, Alaska that’s starting to make some waves. Thera is all about soaring female vocals over top of raspy male metal vocal accents and chugging guitars. You may think of Evanescence, I say think a bit broader. This is not Evanescence. Or Flyleaf. Or (insert run-of-the-mill female-fronted rock band name here). This is an all together different prospect. Maybe think Epica meets Sarah McLachlan meets 10 Years. Exactly. And that should get you at least pointed in the right direction. But what you really need to do to truly appreciate Thera is to listen to them. My advice on that would be to pick up a digital copy because rumor has it that they charge $10 for the pressed copy which is way too steep. It’s good music, for sure… but in the real world that’s the price of a full-length. Anyway, enough with the Clark Howard bit…
Lyrically, Thera deals with spiritual themes from a distance. It’s fairly obvious, but not terribly overt. If you know what they’re all about, it’ll probably click… if you don’t know, you’ll probably be left wondering. Take “The Aftermath” for example, it says “pull me back if you can / you are with me everywhere / the shadow of my broken past / the weapon in my careless hand / this is who I am without you / steady and strong / this is how I live without you / on my own / you know I’ll forget about you / whenever I want / this is who I am without you”. Spiritual allegory? Maybe. Maybe not. Your guess is as good as mine. Although, later in the song you’ll find the lines, “here I pause and wait / for one moment I pray to God / you’re coming after me”. So take it as you will.
Standout track was the EP closer, “If I Lose Heart” which is a swelling anthem of love, sacrifice, and faith. If I could get ten songs of this caliber, I’d be tempted to quit my day job, start a label, and sign these guys… and gal.
Overall: The only real down side is the length. Three songs is almost an unbearable tease. But it is what it is… and what it is, is a great 3-song release. Thera has what it takes to turn some heads and I highly recommend you check ‘em out.
[Myspace]