Dutch band Terra Nova started life with a hiss and a roar, but gradually deteriorated over time with an alarming downward slide of quality. The rot set in from this album onward.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Terra Nova
ALBUM: Escape
LABEL: Frontiers
SERIAL: FRCD 253
YEAR: 2005
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Netherlands
LINEUP: Fred Hendrix – lead vocals, lyrics, production, enginnering, mix * Gesuino Derosas – guitars, backing vocals * Ron Hendrix – keyboards, backing vocals * Eric Coenen – bass * Hans Eijkenaar – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll * 02 Rock Bottom * 03 Hold The Line * 04 Heaven Knows * 05 Escape * 06 War On War * 07 You Are The One * 08 Sole Survivor * 09 Lonely Is The Night * 10 Back In The 80’s * 11 Part Of The Game * 12 Yesterday
RATING: 60/100
WEBLINKS: NA
Terra Nova Background
This was probably an album we should’ve reviewed back in 2005, but for some reason it missed the calling card. Anyway, if you look at the track listing, you’ll see a whole bunch of song-titles which could indicate that this is a Covers Album.
It isn’t, but seeing those song-titles, you can’t help think there’s a lot of plagiarism involved here, or perhaps main-man Fred Hendrix took sone inspiration from past AOR greats?
The Songs
I mean, ‘Sole Survivor’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘Hold The Line’, ‘Heaven Knows’ and the album-title ‘Escape’, come on, lol.
You’ve heard those songs before, just ask Asia, Toto, U.F.O and Journey, but no, these are Terra Nova originals.
Well played but probably lacking the production sting of their classic 1996 debut ‘Livin’ It Up’. I’ve always enjoyed this band, and the material here is well suited to Glory Daze readers. However my patience is wearing thin and my interest is severely lacking.
In Summary
The most notable issue with the album is the weak drum-mix and the alarming downward slide of quality. Terra Nova really could’ve done with a bloke like Max Norman to sort the drum sound out.
It needs to be given a huge testosterone boost and some imaginative fills. I’m not really sure what Terra Nova were doing here. It really was a sign of things to come. Maybe this is the reason I didn’t review it at the time? Hmm.
Terra Nova on Video
Part Of The Game
Escape
Back In The Eighties
