Interviews About Albums: Terranoct - Icon Of Ruin (2023)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Metal band Terranoct to ask some questions about their new album "Icon Of Ruin". 

1. What can you say about this new CD?

Icon of Ruin has a little bit of everything while still maintaining its own unique sound. It’s a culmination of all our influences, and I think it holds its ground very well because of that. Having both old-school and more modern influences, we wanted to remain loyal to those, and I think that combination created something that sounds very fresh, in my opinion!

2. What is the meaning of the CD name?

Honestly, it’s part of the lyrics to “Leviathan’s Will”, and it stuck out to us and seemed fitting. Nothing too deep – it just sounds sick!

3. Which one is the composer of the CD?

Well, we all played a part in this. Dan wrote the core of some songs, like “Heresy” and “Call of the Void”, which I transposed on guitar, and I wrote a good chunk of the songs as well, and we revised from there. Ricky, Dan, and I all played a part in writing lyrics as well. Rickie added some nice touches to “Blighted Body” and “Leviathan’s Will” also. When one of us would run into a snag with writing (lyrically or musically), we’d let each other take over from there, and of course, then make revisions until we were all satisfied. Everyone calls to pull their weight with writing and that certainly plays a part in each song’s identity.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

Man, that’s such a difficult question! I love them all, but if I had to pick one personally, “Cerebral Strangulation” stands out to me at the moment. The way it closes the album out, especially with the harmonized chords and acoustic guitars layered together, is pure atmospheric, melodic bliss that makes it even heavier. Plus, it has my favorite guitar solo I recorded on the album.

5. Is there a special message in this CD? If there is what it is?

As a whole, the album itself isn’t a concept album per se, but some songs do share similar themes regarding the human condition and cultural concerns. There are some songs that have unique themes, like “Blighted Body” for instance, which talks about Lake Natron in Tanzania being a lake with such high alkalinity that it actually sears birds’ skin when they touch the water, and it basically calcifies anything in the lake that dies. It’s such a mental phenomenon in nature. “Leviathan’s Will” pays homage to King Ghidorah from the Godzilla franchise. We’ll write about anything!

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

There’s a line in the second verse of “Blighted Body” that I love. “Nurtured, ebbing and flowing, incarnation besieged Mummified rising, spewing out a crystallized breath in fatal relief” It paints such a grim and bleak picture.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

For us, there are a handful of bands that influenced Icon of Ruin. Megadeth, Metallica, Revocation, Sylosis, The Black Dahlia Murder, Gojira, Lamb of God, Testament, etc. For my own playing, Dave Davidson, Josh Middleton, Glenn Tipton, KK Downing, Marty Friedman, Brandon Ellis, etc. are all pretty big influences of mine for guitar.

8. Something to add?

You can find us and our album Icon of Ruin on all our platforms here: https://linktr.ee/terranoct You can also order physical copies of Icon of Ruin here: https://terranoctofficial.bigcartel.com/