Terra Atlantica – Oceans

Terra Atlantica
Oceans
Label: Scarlet Records
Out: September 26^th, 2025
Playing time: 49:21

The press release describes them as a “German seafaring Power Metal band”. We are talking about the Hamburg band Terra Atlantica. Founded in 2014, they have released three studio albums to date. Album number four, ‘Oceans’, will be released in September. Terra Atlantica take listeners on a journey across the seven seas.

Powerful riffs, exotic rhythms, cinematic/atmospheric sounds, and soaring choruses that demand to be performed live with the energy of a storm.

That’s how euphorically the press release describes the band’s sound. I have already been able to experience their live qualities twice, in 2016 at Marias Ballroom and in 2018 at the legendary Indra. So of course I was looking forward to the new studio album.

The intro is appropriately called ‘Ocean Fever’. After a few piano chords, the spoken words are accompanied by epic strings. An equally epic chorus follows at the end. ‘Back To The Sea’ is the actual opening song. The epicenes remains unchanged, with fast riffs and driving drums. Singer Tristan Harders also sets a fast pace with a powerful voice and is later supported by his vocalists. The guitarists take turns playing a short solo. ‘Hoist The Sail’ is no less upbeat. The accordion provides a maritime feeling. ‘Caribbean Shores’ starts quietly with acoustic guitars. The guitars are then driven by the drums again. The instrumentation with brass and steel pan (?) as well as the cries of seagulls spread an exotic flair. In between, you can hear fast polyphonic vocals, which are also familiar in a similar form from the Rhapsody universe. The tempo is also kept up on ‘Turn Of The Tide’, mainly thanks to the drums. The orchestral bombast is omnipresent, but not annoying. The sound of the waves can be heard very briefly at the beginning of ‘Through The Water And The Waves’. But immediately the guitars fry and the drums drive this musical par force ride. In between, you can also hear some subtle growls. A strong guitar solo followed by a bass line are then the highlight. In the shanty ballad ‘Where My Brothers Await’, the accordion (ship’s piano) once again provides a maritime flair. But the calm comes to an end with “Land Of Submarines” – catchy melodic ( Soft-) Power Metal can be heard. A Power Metal anthem follows with ‘Raven In The Dark’. Here, too, Terra Atlantica score with excellent choral vocals. But also with another guitar solo. ‘To The Realm Of Gods’ is another catchy anthem. However, the Hanseatic band saved the best for last. The ten-minute epic ‘Oceans Of Eternity’ starts with a very familiar melody, the Sarabande. This is the third of four dances from the fourth suite in D minor by George Frideric Handel [Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis (HWV) 437]. The melody is first taken over by the guitars before the drive takes off – Power Metal instead of baroque classical music. Regular changes of melody and rhythm provide a slightly progressive character. However, it always remains very melodic. This is followed by a second classical quotation, an excerpt from Mozart’s Symphony in G minor, K. 550 (the composer’s 40th and penultimate symphony). It can be said that both classical themes were well chosen and fit perfectly with the whole song. For me, this is the absolute highlight and the crowning finale of the album.

The musicians of Terra Atlantica may not blame me for describing the album as ‘light Power Metal entertainment’. These almost fifty minutes do just that, they entertain the listener. And you are captivated by the sound, the melodies, the arrangements from start to finish. This journey is real fun.

Terra Atlantica – Land Of Submarines: https://youtu.be/uIjjF3eA4pY?si=ipywrVI7AjAmC9Tm

Lineup:

Tristan Harders – Vocals, Guitar
Nico Hauschildt – Drums, Backing Vocals
Dawid Wieczorek – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Julian Prüfer – Bass

Track list:

• Ocean Fever
• Back To The Sea
• Hoist The Sail
• Caribbean Shores
• Turn Of The Tide
• Through The Water And The Waves
• Where My Brothers Await
• Land Of Submarines
• Raven In The Dark
• To The Realm Of Gods
• Oceans Of Eternity