The Night Terrors

Spawned from the festering miasma of the Melbourne underground scene, The Night Terrors' theremin-fueled electro-noise has been petrifying punters since the year 2000. Their formula of thunderous metal-bass, breakneck drumming, vintage horror synth and the manic wail of the theremin has earnt the Terrors a reputation as one of Australia's most unusual and original bands. Following the release of two stellar EPs "The Night Terrors"(2002) and "Lightless"(2003) through Unstable Ape Records, the Terrors went on hiatus for overseas travels before reconvening in Melbourne in 2006. Following a string of prog-rock style keyboardist combustions, 2008 saw the lineup solidify and The Night Terrors evolve into an even more horrifying force. The Night Terrors' debut full length album "Back To Zero" will be released in April 2009 through EXO Records.

ALBUM 'BACK TO ZERO' REVIEWS 2009

VICE (AUS)
Exo Records is good records. Night Terrors music is good music. TNT has a serious Goblin-vibe happening here. They could easily score a horror film set in American Apparel. I could picture tram-loads of Gentlewomen with the same body shape, clothes, opinions and haircuts walking around the racks in a zombie like state, just tripping on all the offensive colours and price tags.
Margret cunliffe


WEMAKEGOODSTUFF.COM
The Night Terrors is a sleeping disorder, characterised by extreme terror in a semi-awake person and often accompanied by gasping, moaning and screaming…The Night Terrors is also a Melbourne post-progressive rock band characterised by their rhythm driven and theremin-bound cosmic soundscapes, contrasted with grunged-up distorted metal bass and prolific use of horror-film esque synth. I know I’ve been guilty of gasping and moaning during their hauntingly powerful live shows around town, the essence which their debut full length album Back to Zero manages to capture superbly. An epic journey through space from start to finish, Back to Zero is a sign of big things to come for the Hobart natives and hot damn, check out that cover art!

From the first soaring notes of the theremin on the first song of Back to Zero, ‘Human Hair’, it’s apparent that you’re listening to something unique. Miles Brown uses the instrument just as that, an instrument as opposed to the gimmicky toy that most bands use it as. The man can control the beast and hits those lofty notes and creates the other worldly feel The Night Terrors are renowned for. All led by the thumping powerhouse of a rhythm section with Ianto Kelly on drums and with contributions on the album from Paul Kearney, Marieke Bardin and Kelsey James on the varying and crucial stabs and textures of the synth.
Back to Zero runs like a narrative, each song painting vivid imagery in the mind of the listener. ‘Blood and Bone’ – the turbulent ride through the asteroid belt and following track ‘Saturnalia’ the triumphant emergence on the other side; ‘Righteous’ – realising that you are lost in space and the next track ‘Back to Zero’ embracing that fact, rolling with it and tripping out on all the pretty stars up there… These guys are one of the best and most unique bands on the Melbourne scene right now and certainly deserve your attention.


AIRCHARTS (AUS)

There's not much I like in the world better than a melancholy distorted guitar line or power generating wind mills...

So you can understand my excitement when I saw the start of this clip from Melbourne's "nightmarishly elastic" The Night Terrors...

My delight turned to disappointment, then bemusement and finally awe as the clip's understated beauty turned into a manic soundtrack for a b grade, c grade, d grade horror clip. A hairy creature in a heritage deep sea diving helmet fights Zombies while trying to save the life of a beautiful blonde maiden on a beach... hmmmm... You'll need your 3D glasses too.

The clip perplexed me so much that I forgot that what I was listening to was actually brilliant. The night terrors play complex, synth heavy rock and roll, featuring one of Australia's foremost exponants of the theremin. It's tempting to compare the music and vibe of this song to an instrumental version of Perth's Snowman, this clip's got the same density and darkness but there's an added element of creativity that could see the Night Terrors take their music to a whole new level.

If you want to play in a rock band without a singer you need musical ideas with the strength to carry the music. The night terrors have got it in spades. This clip is a couple of years old now so The Night Terrors have evolved since then, tracks from the new album "Back to Zero" are crammed with epic melodies, cinematic textures and and the even odd moment of sunshine. A truly original sound. I bought the album.


TIME OFF (AUS)
The Night Terrors’ debut full-length album Back To Zero introduces itself somewhat similarly to one of Goblin’s soundtrack releases or Jean Michel Jarre’s original Oxygéne record. Within seconds the listener is transported to a world created entirely by the Melbourne band’s synth, drum, bass and theremin combination – a place where wolves fly rocket ships protecting helpless planet folk from intergalactic volcanic eruptions (or any arrangement of associated descriptors).

Following The Night Terrors and Lightless EPs (released in 2002 and 2003 respectively), Back To Zero allows a greater public outside of the Melbourne underground to experience the band’s manic and ethereal sound. The album is packed with catchy and absorbing melodic passages, broken by the occasional discordant outburst of sound. The instantly likeable tracks ‘Epithet’ and ‘Glass Eyes’ sound akin to the past hits of Tangerine Dream, while ‘The Dream Eater’ and ‘Blood And Bone’ offer something so simple and uniquely powerful, one wonders how the tunes haven’t appeared earlier.

In the final quarter of the album ‘Existential Revelation In The Circle-Pit At Slayer’ combines the tightly organised with the highly experimental to produce a clash of sounds from all directions of the genre sphere. Continuing this theme the final track ‘Back To Zero’ shapes 20 minutes into a platform of unpredictability and sonic impulse.

The Night Terrors’ Back To Zero is a singularly impressive 66-minute album that should prove to be a success with any audience across the globe.
Carlin Beattie