TEMIC Sift Together “Through The Sands of Time”

TEMIC are already living up to their billing as prog’s new supergroup. Their debut album, Terror Management Theory, just topped the charts in the Netherlands and reached #15 on iTunes Worldwide Metal chart.

Today, TEMIC are releasing a stylish and scenic new video for “Through the Sands of Time”, the sweeping 7-minute opener from Terror Management Theory. The song showcases the full range of the band’s superpowers: melodic cleans, djenty riffs, keys that swirl and sizzle amid grooving technical breakdowns, not one but two arpeggiated guitar solos. They’re only one album in, but TEMIC are proving they really are the full package.

Watch the video for “Through the Sands of Time”: https://youtu.be/IE4qHkOJxPI?si=JpjXgQQn2vYla1_v

“Our drummer, Simen Sandnes, produced this music video in Iceland, exploring a visually aesthetic interpretation of “Through the Sands of Time”, says TEMIC.

“The chorus encourages the listener to let go of their past, to ‘burn it all’ in order to ‘fly high’ and ‘breathe life’. This contrasts with the melancholic nature of the verses, which reflect on the past and question the present: ‘What is true?’ Sometimes, we spend so much time regretting and reassessing that we forget the hourglass of our lives is constantly running.

We hope you are all enjoying TMT. We are all absolutely astounded by the response we’ve received!”

Diego Tejeida and Eric Gilette first got the idea to start a band together when they were touring members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. Here are just some of the nice things that their fellow road dog had to say about Terror Management Theory.

“Musically, it falls somewhere between Leprous, Sleep Token, Haken, Dream Theatre & Pain of Salvation…amazing stuff, insane playing, check it out if you haven’t already!”

Their vision for TEMIC wasn’t exactly simple: synthesize their love for high-energy electronica and flashy riffs into a killer prog-metal hybrid. But after recruiting former soccer prodigy-turned-Zildjian-endorsed drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype) to go along with the high-powered falsetto of Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton), together, the supergroup managed to connect all those puzzle pieces on their very first album.

“As the progressive metal scene witnesses a surge of new talent, this [album] places TEMIC in the discussion of the top new band releases of 2023”, – The Prog Report.

“Bursting with ideas and extraordinary individual performances, it sounds like the work of a living, breathing band” – Blabbermouth

“…technical without being suffocating…For anyone already invested in the genre, there is nothing here to not like” – Sonic Perspectives

“…a lavish progressive metal debut that stands out sharply in the crowd” – Distorted Sound

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Temic
Stream: https://orcd.co/tmtpresave

TEMIC came together from across the globe, but they also share a wide variety of influences.

Check out the playlist that the prog supergroup update each month on Spotify. The November edition features Daft Punk, Animals As Leaders, Meshuggah, Car Bomb and Esbjörn Svensson Trio.

Track list:
1. TMT (2:02)
2. Through the Sands of Time (7:00) [WATCH VIDEO]
3. Falling Away (4:58) [WATCH VIDEO]
4. Count Your Losses (6:13) [WATCH VIDEO]
5. Skeletons (7:00)
6. Acts of Violence (5:52)
7. Friendly Fire (5:57)
8. Paradigm (6:33)
9. Once More (5:45)
10. Mothallah (7:27) [WATCH VIDEO]
Total: 58:54

Style: Prog-metal
FFO: Dream Theater, Leprous, Devin Townsend, Tesseract, Periphery

Introducing TEMIC—prog’s newest, most ambitious, and most adrenaline-fueled act. TEMIC melds the creative minds of keyboardist and sound designer Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken), guitarist Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress), drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype), and vocalist Fredrik Klemp (Maraton, 22).

The origins of TEMIC date back to 2017, when Tejeida and Gillette toured the world as band members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. From the very first chords they exchanged, their musical chemistry both on and off stage was undeniable, leading them to discuss the prospect of starting a new band together. Unfortunately, conflicting tour and recording commitments forced them to turn their attention elsewhere for years—that is, until the world came to a standstill in 2020, and Tejeida called Gillette to ask a fateful question:
“Remember how we said we should make music together? Well, how about now?”

Thus, the first demos for what would later become TEMIC’s 2023 debut album, Terror Management Theory, began to emerge. Within a few weeks after that initial phone call, the musical vision of TEMIC had become clear: Let’s create progressive music that is heavily influenced by high-energy electronic music, but arranged and orchestrated for a 5-piece modern prog rock/metal band—where, at last, the pulse can be the focus, and the vocal melody can be king.

Eager to join forces with the very best bandmates, Tejeida and Gillette first summoned the rhythmic power of their friend and drummer Sandnes. With characteristic enthusiasm, Sandnes seized the opportunity, prepared to contribute his percussive prowess as the heartbeat of TEMIC. When it came time to find the singer that would carry TEMIC’s melodies to new heights, Sandnes recommended vocal powerhouse Klemp, whose emotive delivery and unmatched intensity left no doubt that he was destined to be the voice of TEMIC. Finally, to round out the rhythm section of Terror Management Theory, dynamic bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals) was invited on board as a guest player, gracing the album with an unrivaled groove and a signature low-end sound.

Together, this mammoth lineup is TEMIC, a high-energy, electronic-inspired, modern melodic prog metal band for the next generation.

Line-up:
Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton, 22) – Vocals
Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress) – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Simen Sandnes (Shining, Arkentype) – Drums and Percussion
Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken) – Keyboards and Sound Design

Recording Studio: Drums and vocals recorded at Top Floor Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Producer: Produced by TEMIC. Drums and vocals engineered by Jakob Herrmann Gothenburg, Sweden)
Mix/Mastering: Mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House (Los Angeles, USA)

Guest musicians:
Jacob Umansky (USA) – Bass guitar on the whole album
Mosaic Gospel Choir (Norway) – Mothallah
Garden State Threshold Choir (USA) – Mothallah

Cover artwork: Hicham Hamzi