Terminalist

The future is not what it used to be. Whether we are talking about climate change and environmental destruction, global conflicts, or inequality and societal upheaval, the crises are prevalent on all fronts. The end of history, as Fukuyama proclaimed 35 years ago, has been cancelled, and what remains is a future of decline, climate catastrophes and crisis management.

This is the theme unfolded by the self-proclaimed hyperthrashers Terminalist on their second album, ‘The Crisis as Condition’, released in September 2023 through Indisciplinarian. The message is delivered in complex thrash that gives nods to names like Megadeth, Kreator, Coroner and Vektor, while simultaneously drawing on black metal and progressive metal influences.
‘The Crisis as Condition’ got a raving reception with top marks from the magazines Metalian (FR), Metalized (DK), and Devilution (DK), the latter also proclaiming it Danish Album of the Year. The underground media outlet Mystification Zine hailed it as one of the 20 best international metal records of the year and described the album as “a world-class thinking man’s thrash metal record in an era of regrettable devolution”.

However, the band dealt with its own challenges in the process, breaking up after the album’s release, and leaving lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Emil Hansen as the sole member.

After a short break, Terminalist bounced back with a live lineup consisting of talented forces from bands like hardcore punks Night Fever, prog-equilibrists NAKE and death metal veterans Iniquity. The new team gave their debut concert at Denmark’s largest metal festival, COPENHELL, in June 2024 to excellent reviews. Since then, several headliner shows have been added, as well as a show supporting goth rock heroes Unto Others.

In their new form, Terminalist is an explosive unit of blinding speed, explosive riffs and deeply pessimistic lyrics delivered with fierce indignation. It’s a band that doesn’t hold back when they tell the story of a world in decline with a clenched fist.

As global crises escalate, Terminalist has only become more relevant since the release of ‘The Crisis as Condition’. They are, in other words, a band of the times, ready to take over venues and festivals – no matter how dark the future may seem.

The Terminalist live liveup is:
Emil Hansen: Vocals, guitars
Nicklas Kirchert (NAKE, ex-Förtress): Guitars
Mike Sabroe Nielsen (ex-Abscission, ex-Iniquity): Bass
Jesper Møller Andersen (Night Fever, Tyrant): Drums