Tesseract Songs Ranked
Tesseract (often stylized as TesseracT) is an English progressive metal band from Milton Keynes. The band, formed in 2003, consists of Daniel Tompkins (lead vocals), Alec “Acle” Kahney (lead guitar and producer), James Monteith (rhythm guitar), Amos Williams (bass, backing vocals), and Jay Postpones (drums, percussion). The band is currently signed to Kscope. They are credited as one of the bands to pioneer the djent movement in progressive metal. As of 2018, Tesseract has released four studio albums: One, Altered State, Polaris, and Sonder, as well as a live album, Odyssey/Scala, and the extended plays Concealing Fate, Perspective, and Errai. In 2020 Tesseract performed Portals, described as a “live cinematic experience” as a ticketed online stream. Drummer Jay Postpones was replaced by Mike Maylan (Monuments) for the event since Postpones chose to stay in Texas due to the necessary 2-week isolation from the coronavirus pandemic. Here are all of Tesseract’s songs ranked.
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15. Tourniquet (Polaris, 2015)
“This is legendary piece of artwork that will not be forgotten decades down the road, it will be rediscovered one day, after the end of time”
14. Of Matter (Altered State, 2013)
“That bass sounds killer. There’s not many metal bands with those clean and percusive bass lines that I really enjoy. Vocals are on point too. well, the full band is amazing.”
13. Sunrise (One, 2011)
“An old Tesseract song that I wasn’t expecting to make the album cut. It’s a little bit of an outsider to the rest of the album, featuring a prominent guitar chug through its verses. I’d call ‘Sunrise’ my least-favourite track on the album. Though it does evolve into something more ethereal at times, the recurring chug is its hook, and it’s not that great. On top of this, the album’s occasionally-less-than-great production is at its worst during the second iteration of this chug, where bassist Amos Williams accompanies the guitar pattern with some slap bass action. The bass cuts through the mix in a sharp and unpleasantly treble-heavy manner, making the whole section seem fairly amateur.”
12. Eden (One, 2011)
“Eden’s a cool song, though it might be a little too long for itself. By the fifth or sixth minute, I tend to feel like it’s getting a little repetitive. As always, Tompkins does a steady job on the vocal delivery and the musicianship is tight and groovy, though the highlight for me has to be Kahney’s dreamy guitar solo during the outro, which is used primarily to evoke emotion, rather than as a self-indulgent guitar-wank.”
See more: Tesseract Albums Ranked
11. Perfection (One, 2011)
“This song is all about the vocals. Instrumentation plays a backing role to Dan Tompkin’s powerful voice and truly crushing lyrics, detailing the pain and desperation of loving someone unattainable.”
10. Luminary (Sonder, 2018)
“Luminary” does an excellent job of setting the tone, opening with some brief atmospheric electronic effects, before the dissonant guitars kick in, and then the music calms down again and Daniel enters in on vocals. It’s a great track which does a great job of briefly showcasing the heavier side of the band, while overall being a very melodic and surprisingly accessible track, with a very strong chorus, and a great use of atmospheric sounds throughout.”
9. Nocturne (Odyssey, 2015)
“One of TesseracT’s greatest songs, Nocturne. Ashe O’Hara is an amazing vocalist, and this song is the perfect example. The beginning riff is heavy, and the chorus is catchy, yet still interesting.”
8. Phoenix (Polaris, 2015)
“The soft break with the “I can breathe again..” part where dan is singing softer and falsetto, god damn. I get shivers every time. He hits some angelic notes in there. Cannot get enough of that part, and it flows perfectly with the music. If the whole song were like that I’d be even happier.”
7. Smile (Sonder, 2018)
“The last real heavy track on the album is “Smile”, which again starts with some dark and heavy riffs before settling into a nice groove, with a nice use of electronic effects to set the tone for the music.”
6. Of Matter – Retrospect (Altered State, 2013)
“I don’t know why but I totally love when the song title appears in the middle of a breakdown, all the detail, it’s so dramatic! The only track where I actually truly would take Ashe over Dan.”
See more: Bad English Songs Ranked
5. Dystopia (Polaris, 2015)
“Haven’t danced in a while either so felt good to express. This is making me sing more again been in music production mode. I can safely say TesseracT is now among my top bands”
4. Of Mind – Nocturne (Altered State, 2013)
“The interesting song structure, the building harmonies during the verses and that beautifully atmospheric ending. The lyricist urges his love to embrace their love. What has been done is in the past. The two people in the relationship may have hurt each other badly or just one way. Love has the transcendental power that helps him stop denying and save themselves.”
3. Survival (Polaris, 2015)
“Tesseract vocalist Daniel Tompkins is a married father, and the issue of maintaining contact with his family during long periods away resonates strongly with the singer. This song is about those difficulties. “Survival is a hard-hitting song about the struggles we’ve encountered along the way but specifically and especially about the strain and burden of being apart from our loved ones to whom we are forever beholden for their steadfast and loving support,” he explained.”
2. Hexes (Polaris, 2015)
“This song reintroduced the reason why I love music so much. I literally feel this shit deep inside my rib cage. Such a beautifully written song. The song itself is already so emotional, beautiful and strong that you just want to scream and cry at the same time.”
1. April (One, 2011)
“Well-known amongst fans for its iconic slap-bass rhythm. ‘April’ is a particularly chill song, saturated with dreamy clean guitar melodies. Tompkins does a good job of bringing something of an unsettling atmosphere to the piece with his dark lyrics, that contrast drastically against the peaceful instrumental backdrop. Highlights include “I like to watch things burn down” and “I live tonight through methadone highs”.
