Band:	The Great Deceiver
Album:	Terra Incognito
Style:	Alternative metal
Release date:	April 14, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. Today
02. We-The Dead
03. Lake Of Sulphur
04. From Bereavement To Resgination
05. Marathon Man
06. The Heel On The Throat Of The Young
07. Faust In Exile
08. Forward/Willing/Sickness
09. Conspiracy Theorist
10. Worm Of Truth

"The Great Deceiver" is the "real" new band of the singer Tomas Lindberg [ex At The Gates?]. This band was formed immediately after the split of "At The Gates" in 1996/1997. Tomas says, "The Great Deceiver is the dark hardcore cousin of At The Gates, the logical continuation of my career." You can easily understand with that sentence from the master that here we are not with a new band of Melodeath. As Tomas says, it's very easy to feel with "The Great Deceiver" the influences of Hardcore and bands like Joy Division or The Velvet Underground. After their last album "A Venom Well Designed" the band is back with their new production "Terra Incognito" through Peaceville.


This new album is really disturbing for the guys who, like me, know the others bands of Tomas Lindberg. For sure we are not with another Melodic Death metal band. In fact the only similarity is the incredible voice of Tomas. Here again this excellent singer shows that he has one of the best Death metal voices, no doubt on that.
For the music, this time we are near of Hardcore and yeah we have this little touch of "Nu" in the music. A lot of time I really have the feeling to listen some bands like Soulfly for example. The only, and big, difference is that we have the European touch in it. More melodic, with more work on the musical arrangement at the end the sound of the album sound more true. It's hard to explain but I really have the feeling with "Terra Incognito" that the guys really like this music and don't do that haphazardly.
The music of The Great Deceiver, is very hard, very heavy and the good thing with this production is the quality of the riffs. A lot of tracks of the cd will give to you the desire of doing Head-Bangs. Another good point with the riffs, they really have the particularity to be very transcendent. Push play listen the first song and well you'll understand?
The production of the cd is another time very good. We have a real "big" but nice sound. And it's a good thing for a band that uses to do music near of Hardcore. For the cover and the artwork.. well this time? I can't say that is really good? At the opposite?
If I can do a bad comment on the album, well I just can say that "Terra Incognito" is not very original, not very technical too, but on the other hand we are here to listen some Hardcore then? It's not a big deal then?


At the end this new album of "The Great Deceiver" is very interesting but I'm not sure that all the metal heads could like this band. For sure all the guys and girls who listen Nu metal and all this bands who have this touch in their music will be dazzle of "Terra Incognito". Believe me, it's a ton better than 99% of all this American bands. At the opposite, the guys who know the "old" work of Tomas will certainly be very disturbed by his new production, but believe me too, it's very possible that you'll like this album too.
"Terra Incognito" is a very good album with maybe some imperfections, but I really wants to know the future of the band, because I'm sure that some very good surprises could come from them soon.