The British band TesseracT, with the release of their latest album, has entered the third decade of their activity, but what is key in their history has taken place over the past 15 years. Just before two concerts of the quintet in our country, let’s take a look at what has happened to one of the most interesting representatives of progressive metal during this time.
Debut with a bang - “One” (Century Media Records, 2011)
When releasing their debut album, TesseracT were not boys completely out of nowhere. Let’s start perhaps from 2009, as that was when the final lineup solidified - guitarist Acle Kahney and James Monteith, drummer Jay Postones, and bassist Amos Williams were joined by vocalist Daniel Tompkins, and, as the saying goes, the machine started moving. The team refined their existing compositions, signed a contract with a phonographic giant in the guitar field, Century Media, and at the beginning of the last quarter of 2010, they shared with the world a superb EP “Concealing Fate.” Already at this moment, the British were a breath of fresh air on the progressive side of the metal scene - they had labels somewhere between Meshuggah and Dream Theater, but above all, their craftsmanship and ability to combine heavy, broken parts with a highly sensitive melody were appreciated. Divided into 6 parts, “Concealing Fate” constituted half of the content of the album “One,” released half a year later. There were voices criticizing the band for being creatively lacking, but ultimately after nearly 14 years since the album's release, this fact is not paid much attention. “One” is recalled as one of the best progressive debuts of the 21st century, as evidenced by its recognition by Loudwire in this category (the album took 11th place in the ranking).
TesseracT - “Deception Pt 2”:
The departure of Tompkins, and then the best album in the band’s career? “Altered State” (Century Media Records, 2013)
Several months after the release of “One,” vocalist Daniel Tompkins left the band, deciding to focus on other projects, such as the progressive Skyharbor, pop-rock In Colour, and his experimental solo project White Moth Black Butterfly. Initially, his place was taken by Elliott Coleman, but this collaboration ended after just a year and the release of the EP “Perspective.” Shortly thereafter, Ashe O’Hara from the band Voices from the Fuselage joined TesseracT, who we hear on TesseracT's second album, released in May 2013, “Altered State.” The successor to the debut caused quite a stir among fans - indeed, to this day a large portion of them hails the album as the best in the Milton Keynes crew's catalog. Everything was here absolutely fantastic - the extraordinarily agile groove mixed with unique soundscapes and polished melodies, and O’Hara’s vocals, while avoiding the screaming parts present in Tompkins' lines on “One,” perfectly complemented the musical content with their emotional depth. Guest appearances were made by Chris Baretto from Ever Forthright (saxophone in the tracks “Of Reality - Calabi Yau” and “Of Energy - Embers”) and guitarist Paul Waggoner from Between the Buried and Me (solo in “Of Mind - Nocturne”). At this moment, TesseracT not only entered the progressive metal elite but also became a force in it.
TesseracT - Nocturne:
The return of Tompkins, a new label, “Polaris” & “Sonder” (Kscope, 2015 & 2018)
Tompkins regretted leaving TesseracT after the release of “One” from the very beginning. An uncomfortable situation for him arose in 2013 when his rising band invited him, along with Skyharbor, in which he was then active, for joint concerts in Russia.
"I couldn't stand to watch it; it was a terrible experience for me."
He comments on those concerts years later for British Metal Hammer and adds:
"It felt like someone took my child away. During Deception, I was overwhelmed with the urge to run on stage and start singing. After all, it’s my song, and seeing all those people who were crazy about it felt like my insides were turning upside down."
After the release of “Altered State,” Tesseract's calendar was packed with performances. In the United States, the band first played a tour alongside Katatonia, Cult of Luna, and Intronaut, and then added another dozen shows as headliners, supported by Scale the Summit and Anciients. After that, there was a European tour with Protest the Hero, another trip to North America with Intronaut, until finally a somewhat unexpected situation arose. At the end of July 2014, the group announced their split from Ashe O’Hara due to creative differences. His place was taken by… Tompkins. Fans of the band were simultaneously shocked by the change in this position, especially after such a release as “Altered State,” but they were also pleased that it was the guest they knew from the debut who returned to the line-up.
"When I left the ranks after the release of “One,” I started practicing. I trained my voice for a long time until I finally reached the ease I managed to achieve by eliminating the shouted parts. Now I am in a completely different place - healthier, vocally better, and definitely more confident in composing."
Thus Dan commented on the period of his absence from the band in Metal Injection. The group quickly rolled up their sleeves to work, and by September 2015, they shared their third album “Polaris” - the first released under the Kscope label. The Snapper Music sub-label focuses 100% on progressive metal; in its catalog, we can find materials from Anathema, Ulver, Katatonia, Tangerine Dream, or even the Polish Lunatic Soul, so the British certainly did not end up in bad company. The record was received positively. While it didn’t garner as much enthusiasm as its predecessor, Tompkins' fantastic vocal form was highlighted at almost every turn. After this album, the quintet began to check off performances at the largest metal festivals, and among the vast number of concerts played, it is definitely worth highlighting the American tours with Gojira (2016) and Megadeth and Meshuggah (2017).
TesseracT Summer Festivals 2016 Documentary:
Released in 2018, “Sonder” is TesseracT's first album recorded with an unchanged lineup from the previous one, and it is also their shortest material. The fourth effort of the crew combined the weight known from “One” with the progressive finesse of “Altered State,” which, along with a juicy groove and a return to stronger vocals, created a concrete, fulfilling content that met the expectations.
TesseracT - King:
The longest release hiatus, “War of Being” (Kscope, 2023)
After a series of events promoting “Sonder,” a strange time followed for all of us. TesseracT, like every other band at that period, were figuring out what to do, resulting in “Portals” - a stream of an extremely musically and visually refined concert (those lights!) that also saw a physical release in 2021. The following year, the EP “Regrowth” was released, which included two tracks deviating from the vision of the next album. The noble aim of the mini-album - the income from it was allocated for Ukrainians affected by Russia's aggression.
“War of Being,” the fifth album by the British, was released on September 15, 2023. It must be said that the band approached its promotion creatively, and a clear confirmation of this is the game based on the music and concept of the release, the main designer of which was Tompkins.
TesseracT - The Grey (“War of Being” Game Visualizer):
With their latest album, TesseracT clearly indicated that despite their firmly established position on the progressive metal scene, they are not resting on their laurels and continue to seek new, exciting solutions. They can definitely be talked about as a band that leads in the modern version of the genre, and after every concert, one can expect an audio-visual feast. The band will soon visit Poland alongside Novelists and The Omnific, and we have nothing left but to invite you to these exceptional concerts!
Tesseract + Novelists, The Omnific / 26.01.2025 / Kraków, Studio
Tesseract + Novelists, The Omnific / 5.02.2025 / Gdańsk, B90