All hail the new blood! Terakai have dropped an EP that should rightfully announce them as major players on the metal scene. Guitarist Tom Grepne gives us the low down on the terror that is Terakai.
First of all, who does what in your band?
Joe Knipe on vocals, Adam Lewin on drums, Chris (Kipper) Dodd on bass and our two guitarists are Cameran Turner and Tom Grepne.
Where are you from?
Reading, apart from Cameran who way out in the sticks somewhere!
How long have you been together?
Most of us writing music and recording together for about 2-3 years now, but gigging with a full line up for a year.
Who are your main inspirations for Terakai?
The current EP mainly takes inspiration from metalcore acts, the biggest influence probably being Killswitch Engage as it’s what we were mainly into at the time of writing it a couple of years back. However our new material is a lot darker and slightly more techy... Let’s just say we've been listening to a lot of Lamb Of God and Periphery!
You sound so accomplished... What were your bands like pre-Terakai?
Pretty bad! Joe's was probably the best... Tears of Glass made a name for themselves around the local area and gigged around the UK. Other than that we've all been in bands that never really came to anything or moved outside of the local venue, but it was all stepping stones to where we are now.
Could you describe the live Terakai experience?
Energetic! Usually the songs are played a lot faster live than on the EP, so it’s a frenzy of jumping about and headbanging whilst still trying to play tight! Like every band we have our on and off days, but we're quickly learning from each mistake we make and we're sounding better than ever. We must admit playing the same old songs is starting to feel a bit stale for us but we're gradually introducing new material to keep things fresh! We always get positive feedback from the crowd so we must be doing something right!
Why did you decide to self-release 'The Last Stand' rather than go for a label?
It's a bit of a sad story really and one that we in no way want to gain some kind of sympathy for. Our original plan was to look for a label to release it and get it out in the shops, but our guitarist and main songwriter Matt Dodd sadly passed away about a month or so after we received back the final masters. We decided to just get it out and for people to hear it as quickly as possible, as we didn't even know if we could carry on as a band for emotional reasons or would find a replacement at all. It felt like it was now or never, and thought labels wouldn't be interested in a band with no full line-up. Therefore we self-funded the CD printing and post it out online through our big cartel (www.terakai.bigcartel.com) along with all our other merchandise as well as sell it at gigs. Luckily our close friend Tom Hollings from The Arusha Accord filled in for a little while, then we found the shred machine that is Cameran Turner!
How’s the positive reception to 'The Last Stand' felt?
It's an awesome feeling. It's very strange too as when I was about 15-16, I'd go to see bands such as Exit Ten and Viatrophy when they were in their early years just wishing i could one day be doing what they're doing, now I am it's just such a blessing. Also stuff like reading Kerrang and seeing your face in it, it’s just mental! There's nothing more rewarding than seeing people enjoy something you've worked so hard on, it makes it all worthwhile.
What's next for Terakai?
We're currently in talks with a label and are expecting to release an album sometime next year. We're well on the way with the writing progress and are very excited with how it’s sounding! We plan to tour a lot and generally try to keep the Terakai name growing non-stop.
Finally, is there anyone you want to thank?
Matt Dodd. Without him none of this would have been possible and none of us would be who we are or where we are today.
‘The Last Stand’ is out now from www.terakai.bigcartel.com, and Soundshock says you should go and buy it right now.
Breaking The Waves 
Why did you decide to self-release 'The Last Stand' rather than go for a label?
