To-Mera ~ England

Delusions (2008)

Over 11 years ago I purchased the first two CDs by To-Mera and recall them being quite different from the norm. With a female vocalist. Who has the perfect name of Julie Kiss. According to my notes this is the first title I heard by them. Those listens both went undocumented, so let's see what Delusions has to offer.

Something different. With a female vocalist. Who has the perfect name of Julie Kiss. I can see why I was intrigued from the off. Anyone who has read UMR for any length of time will know that I embraced tech thrash and prog metal from the beginning in the 1980s, and have always had an ear for metal bands looking to extend beyond the norm. But not too much, to be honest. Some metal bands took that idea to the extreme, and sounded more like a cut and paste exercise in random thought. To-Mera manages to make these lengthy songs interesting throughout. And they go beyond the usual prog metal twists and turns as they offer various musical forms not usually associated with the genre at all. Not as a side show, but rather intertwined within the song. That's the magic really. These guys are as nutty as another British collective going by the names of Inner Sanctum, Fifth Season, and Synaptik. Keyboards play a major role in their sound, and what I really appreciate is the different timbres applied. Not the usual digital plastic pad with the standard samples. I like the integration of soft jazz and pop here and there. And Miss Kiss can carry a tune, and not sound like the typical bird with a broken wing. They are a talented bunch for certain. The metal is on the heavier distortion side, yet another plus.

To be honest I never fully embraced the "female fronted symphonic metal" genre all that much. More inoffensive than enlightening. I remember guys in the late 90s swooning over Within Temptation, Nightwish, and that whole lot. "Could listen to Cutie Du Jour sing the phone book" as I recall. To-Mera is completely different. Much more innovative and jarring. Challenging but in a good way. Somewhat similar to Dimensions era Believer, though not really thrashy. 

Had Delusions been released in the early 90s, I'd have played it multiple times, predicted all the changes, and it would likely be one of my favorite metal albums ever. This is only my second listen, long past my impressionable stage. While no chance for nostalgic remembrance, it nonetheless passes any objective measure. Quite enjoyable.

Ownership: 2008 Candlelight (CD). Booklet with lyrics, artwork, and recording details. Acquired in 2014.

11/23/14; 2/23/26 (review)

Also own and need to review Transcendental.

2/23/26 (new entry)