Press for Terminus Victor's Mastering the Revels

From the Buzz Magazine: 4.24.03
By Brian Tracy
Local act Terminus Victor’s full-length debut, Mastering the Revels on Innocent Words Records, is marked by their full sound and memorable riffs. Terminus Victor walk the thin line between industrial and rock.

Terminus Victor do a great job of balancing their sound. Some bands have the problem that they are trying to do too much with their music all at once, often leaving the audience confused or disaffected because they’re given nothing consistent to connect with. The polar of that is a band that picks one formulaic style of writing and composes an album that is indistinguishable from track to track. While Terminus Victor have a relatively constant sound, it is not so stale that it drones on unchangingly and loses the listener.

The best aspect of this album is its full sound. Oftentimes when a band has two members, it is hard to give the music a full sound, but on Mastering the Revels, the sound has a roundness to it that is undeniable. Terminus Victor made the decision to record the album with a drum machine, which can often lead to a hollower, fake sound than when done with a real drummer. Terminus Victor avoid this pitfall by turning everything else up; the bass and guitar work is so constant and aggressive that it manages to capture a violent sound that is constantly on the offensive, never letting up or giving an opening for escape.

The album clocks in at 38 minutes. While short albums are common these days, one can’t help but wish for something more to round out the album. The fact that length is the album’s main shortcoming, however, says quite a lot about the album itself. Overall, Terminus Victor already have good footing musically, and one can only hope that the group’s sound will continue to fill out and diversify within their range, as they has potential above and beyond what they display on Mastering the Revels.

From: The Glass Eye 3.03
"Bright And Early Persuasion" reveals Terminus Victor's intentions right from the beginning - to masterfully bridge the gap between the heavy-bottom thud-metal of bands like Kiss and Cathedral and the industrial heaviness of bands like Static-X and Revolting Cocks.

But this isn't Prong, just as much as it isn't Hate Dept. - Terminus Victor, to their credit don't hide behind distorted vocals and samples. They, instead, bring rock back to the masses.

Overall, the wicked-heavy guitar-rock - the striking without abandon -- works reasonably well. With more empty space (to allow the music to breath a bit more), more vocal dynamics, and a bit of streamlining (all of which are exhibited in "Taking the Advantage"), Terminus Victor could turn their wall-of-sound style into something to rival bands like Diatribe and Geminus ect. I'll be looking for their next CD with anticipation.

From: Impact Press 4/5.03
Mastering the Revels kicks things off with the Ministry-influenced "Bright and Early Persuasion," and it doesn't slow down for the next 37 minutes. Aside from their Ministry-influenced, somewhat industrial sound, you'll also find a fondness for Monster Magnet and sludge rock guitar work.

From: In Music We Trust 2.03
By: Alex Steininger
Heavy on the guitars and plenty of energy, the fiery, buzzing sound of Terminus Victor combines elements of hard rock and hardcore, fusing the two sounds and bringing it into the rock realm with a sense of melody, and danceable drum machines. This is revved up, raver-rock that will take you on a trip - not unlike acid - and make your mind spin as your body flounders with uncontrollable, involuntary movements.

From: Maximum RocknRoll March 2003
CD - Singular. Unique. Like nothing else. Highly evocative of a certain era of time. An example of their particular aesthetic bent. Unforgettable. All this and more. Sheesh. Words fail me...a band completely ready to open for Jane’s Addiction at the Stone circa 1987. (RW)

From: New York Wasted
Terminus Victor from Champaign, IL, are two guys, Scott Kimble & Don King. Mastering The Revels. Kool ass kicking sound! An original twist. Nerve twisting, mind bending licks, maxed out creativity. They're young and fresh on the take. Go get it, catch 'em live, do what you gotta do.

From: Opening Bands 1.03
Review #1
by Chris Earnhart
Repeatedly, I find myself liking genres of music that I never liked before. I don’t know if it’s because the local music I hear now isn’t overplayed on the radio (though some of it should be!), or if I just have expanded my tastes. Either way, Terminus Victor was another band that surprised me.

The band is two men, one on vocals, bass, and drum machine and the other on guitars and drum machine. Their industrial style album borders on action movie soundtrack. The first song, "Bright and Early Persuasion," would fit right at home in a big chase scene. The music gets you pumped. The music is fast paced and the lyrics seem to always be singing about some kind of escape (even though this is not always true). It is punctuated by the chorus of the first song, going, "Gotta get away, gotta get away." Err-maybe that’s the bridge? Anyway, every song delivers one right after the other. The highlights being "Bright and Early Persuasion," because the pace is great and it gets me going, and "Someone’s Finished," for just the opposite reason. It lets me simmer to a stop.

This album is for those of us who want to get up or get away from something. It is also for the dorks out there like me who need good action music to accompany their gameplaying habit" To sum it up: awesome lead singer, great lead guitar, unique and great industrial sound. On their website, they describe themselves as electro-rockomatic-neo-inferno. Hmm...it pretty much fits the bill. These guys rock, and it's hard to say that about most bands today.

So I advise that you live with the inferno rather than be left in it's aftermath. One point of contention does arise, however. The vocals, guitars, and bass change from song to song keeping the album alive and vibrant. The drum-machine, however, provides pretty much the same beat to every song. Meaning that I usually stop listening to the album for a little while every couple of songs, but rest assured that I will listen to it again and again. Anyway, Terminus Victor is a solid industrial band, and I urge any fans of the genre to check these guys out. They have some of the tracks from the album on their website, www.terminusvictor.com, and if you like these, then the band is definitely for you because it only gets better from there. If you are into industrial and have ten bucks to spend, buy this album. If you are maybe into hardcore punk or hard rock, check it out on their website. Anyone who likes fast-paced music with a little hard edge to it should see these guys in concert, as I plan to do when I return from break!

Review #2 -
Robert Taliana
Thank you Terminus Victor, thank you for standing up and actually putting out a industrial/metal album worth listening to.

Thank you for having a blissfully talented guitarist who knows how to work the damn thing, and thank you for actually having a singer who has a vague idea of how to do his job. With only two members gracing this band, Scott Kimble doing bass and vocals while Don King does guitar, it's a wonder they produce the unique sound Terminus Victor has. And what is that sound, you ask? It's a mechanized assault of rhythmic noise that, at times, tends to grab hold of your stomach with a firm grip and wrench it right out. Terminus Victor is heavy with an electronic beat that captivates you, while the guitar is there to make sure you're hooked. And oh, that voice. Scott Kimble has the rare type of voice that you can pick out from a crowd of aspiring musicians. He has great range that can reach the higher octaves without becoming an annoying screech. Kimble uses this gift to his advantage, but doesn't lay it on too thick so that it becomes tiresome and boring. He's not only one of the top singers in the local arena, but one of the better voices out there.

Overall Terminus Victor is a healthy puff of fresh air into the smoke ridden room that is the absence of metal in today's music (yes, the analogy police are pulling me away as we speak). There isn't much that sounds like Terminus Victor, and that which does strives to be mentioned in the same breath as they are. A must have album for the collection that desperately needs a heavy beat.

From Read Magazine 6.1.03
Mastering The Revels - Punk-style guitars and grungey singing over fast electronic drums and breakbeats. It's a neat juxtaposition and seems to works well.

From SLUG Magazine 5.03
Don’t let the name fool you, this ain't no thrash doom for goth angels. This raging two-man trio of flagellating guitar distortion, 3-string bass balls and a furious drum machine (fondly referred to as "her") is an industrial-strength amalgamation of rawk n' freaky roll with a relentless electronic enema. Scathing arena core for techno-punks and cop-hating bitch hoppers. Preliminary studies have shown Terminus Victor to be more effective in the treatment of genital herpes than Valtrex and Zovirax combined, without all the messy side effects.
~ Uncle Shame

From Splendid E-Zine 4.03
Combine the rhythm section of Joy Division, the unpolished Screaming Life-era screaming of Chris Cornell and the heavy guitars of '70s rock/Seattle grunge and you'll have Terminus Victor.

Yes, Mastering the Revels is eclectic to say the least -- the juxtaposition of clean-cut, suit-clad guitarist Don King and scruffy-lookin' bassist/vocalist Scott Kimble only perpetuates the aesthetic. It's an initially unsettling multiplicity, but after a few listens it makes perfect sense. The thin electronic percussion sound is a bit quirky, but refreshing, like Skinny Puppy's "Tin Omen" or the way Alec Empire and KMFDM utilize synthetic drums in a "hard" ensemble.
~ Dave Madden

From Accent Magazine 9.15.04
Throwing down a spark with Terminus Victor
The evolution of a band is almost like watching a child grow. There are a lot of baby steps until they start walking. Then hopefully, once fully balanced, they evolve into a full stride.

In a college town like Champaign Urbana, the majority of bands only last four years because the band members graduate and move on into "real life." Or in some cases, the bands move on to Chicago to be discovered.

For more than a decade, Scott Kimble (vocals, bass, drum programming) and Don King (guitar, drum programming) have been playing together in one form of a band or another.

Not until late 2000 did they find their balance when they formed Terminus Victor. T-Vic, as it is commonly known among area music fans, has steadily progressed into one of the top touring bands in Champaign. With signing to local label Innocent Words Records in 2002 and winning the Budweiser Tru Music Live contest for the area, Terminus Victor has progressed quite nicely.

They have taken their baby steps. They have walked and found their balance. Now, on September 16, they are finding their stride when they kick off an 18-date September tour that sees the band going from their hometown to Canada down the east coast to Florida and back home - without a day off.

"Tours at this level are all about finding the right clubs for the right band," Dave Domal (Terminus Victor’s booking agent) of Brass Rail Booking told me. "Then finding the right dates in the right weeks, hopefully, in the same parts of the country."

Domal, who also books tours for another Innocent Words Records band – Lorenzo Goetz, also books monthly shows at Mike & Molly’s.

Traveling to play shows has never been an issue for Don and Scott. They have done many 4-5 day jaunts regionally and even went to the Carolina’s last year. But that pales in comparison to this up coming tour.

Coming off the final touches of their second record with Matt Talbott (Hum/Centaur), which will be released later this fall, Terminus victor has and excitement that is undeniable when it comes to hitting the road.

"I am expecting to string together more history of memorable shows to our list." Don King said. "Throughout my life, seeing bands put on great shows and playing awesome music is high on my list of magical life moments. From an early age, it became something I wanted to do...so here we are."

Scott and Don have been friends for a long time. And if you have ever seen them, they look to be total opposites, hut find the two on stage together, the chemistry is magical.

"I believe in my friend Scott and the potential of our project, and look forward to playing our music for those who come to the shows. We continually strive to create music that energizes and moves us, and we are glad to have the opportunity to share it with others," King said.

The tour is a pre cursor to the release of Terminus Victor’s second album entitle Under Surveillance. Riding the success of their first release Mastering the Revels, not only does the band have high expectations, but their fans and friends do as well.

"The recording process went g well. We feel it can only get better from here," King stated. "This album will reveal a matured sound and writing style. Our first record was appropriately dubbed 'blow and go' due to the high energy expressed by almost every song on the record. The second record takes T-Vic style and spreads it into a wider range of 'feel' that each song expresses."

The tour will likely showcase the majority of these new songs for the band to road test along with a few Terminus Victor classics.

The 18-date tour kicks off at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago on September 16, then the band will come back home for a show at Mike & Molly’s on the 17. Quatre Tete and Haymarket Riot (Thick Records) will also be on the bill.

From: indianapolismusic.net
By J Charles
Terminus Victor will be at The Melody, this Friday, May 16, 03. Innocent Words, the same label that put together the 'Small, My Table' compilation, now brings us 'Mastering the Revels', the debut CD by Champaign act Terminus Victor. Mastering the Revels is a great CD for a couple of reasons. First, it rocks. Second, Terminus Victor's sound is one that I've not heard around here in a while.

The Rock: this is adrenaline music, and it sounds fantastic. At least a portion, if not all, of the recording quality can be attributed to the fact that the disc was recorded by Matt Talbot at Great Western Record Recorders, his Studio in Tolono, IL. As more Illinois acts continue to pass through Indiana, you will probably start noticing that most of the really good Champaign/Urbana area bands record with Matt, probably because he does a damn good job.

Before I go any further, I have to make it known that Terminus Victor uses a drum machine. This fact could be a kiss of death for the band, as it has been for many others since the drum machines invention, but the band pulls it off. It really works for them and keeps the energy high.

The Sound: the electronic drums combined with Don King's sweet sounding high gain guitar tone make for a sound that the musical layman would probably call 'industrial', and that I've recently learned might be more appropriately called 'coldwave'. No matter what you call it, it's a sound similar to 90's acts like God Lives Underwater and Stabbing Westward. Scott Kimble's vocals, with a touch of delay on them, give me a vibe of 80's rock; dramatic and larger than life… maybe even Dio-like. Combined with the fairly quick tempos throughout the record and the not-too-far-from-punk guitar sound, we are left with a fresh patchwork of sound that gives Terminus Victor the ability to fit in on many concert bills and mix tapes. In fact, they recently played a Punk Rock Night, and I could just as easily see them fitting in at Heavy Metal Nite.

While the drum machine definitely plays an important role in Terminus Victors sound, I think it may also be the bands main shortcoming. With the exception of the first half of track 7, 'surefire', the vibe of Mastering The Revels dictated by the tight and invariable sound and style of the drum machine. This vibe is definitely cool in short blasts, but repeated listenings yield fatigue.

Still, this is a great CD to rock out to, equally as energetic as the bands live show. If you're into high energy rock, then Terminus Victor is worth a listen.

From: OpeningBands.com 6.20.07
by Chris Earnhart
Recently, I was given the opportunity to sit down with Scott Kimble, the lead singer and bassist of Terminus Victor. He had some interesting things to say about his band, diversity, and Klondike Bars

Chris Earnhart: So, I'll start with the obvious first question: How did you become interested in music?

Scott Kimble: Um, well I started playing trumpet in fifth grade and went through the motions with that. Then Junior High, when I started playing jazz, I got really interested in music. My teacher really took on to me for some reason. He thought he saw something in me that, you know whatever. Then I started getting into all kinds of rock stuff about my sophomore year. And to be totally honest with you, the first artist that really clicked with me, just cause of his writing and performance skills, was Prince. I really dug him a lot at the time, but then moved on from there. When I got outta high school, I decided to become a music major and studied theory composition. After that, I think the major influence for me was Sonic Youth, then Slint, the Flaming Lips, Dinosaur Jr., Husker Du, and Joy Division. You get the idea. Then I decided to move here and started writing with Don. We just kept working at it until we felt we had something presentable.

CE: Now, I guess I'll move onto Terminus Victor. How did T Vic get together? You mentioned that Don called you down here. Is that pretty much it, or...

SK: Yeah, we met through a friend, and we hit it off from the get-go. This is going back to like '90, actually '89. So we just started playing in a band. After I got out of school in '92, we formed Hushtower. And we went until '99, technically, but didn't play out that much in '99. After that, me and Don decided to keep going but didn't know exactly what we wanted to do - whether to get another drummer or just whatever. Then I just came up with this idea after I saw a Big Black video. I didn't know if the drum machine was going to work or not. So we just tried it and practiced. At first I didn't like it, and Don didn't know if he liked it either. But we just kept going with it, and eventually things started to fall in place. So then, I came up with the whole lighting idea. I drew a picture for Don, just what I wanted it to look like. The top row to be the high frequencies, the middle: low, etc., etc. And he built it. By our next practice, he had gone to the store, and gotten all the materials to build it. And he did it. We're now thinking of expanding upon that. I'm getting kinda tired of what we have right now, and I'm wanting to do something a little bit different. Because we've been doing the same lighting for a couple of years now, and I've got another idea I'd like to try. But I'm not really gonna go into that.

CE: Heh heh, yeah. Well, Are you happy with the way things are going with the band?

SK: Absolutely. I mean, right now, I'm more happy than ever. I'm excited because our writing right now is really coming to a peak. We're writing songs now, that we've been wanting to write ever since me and Don started. And we're just really clicking right now. I'm excited that we're really coming into our own. I'm also excited about the support we have. We're really at a point where we really feel like the vision that we had from the get-go has evolved into this new direction, which is the direction I think we wanted from the start. Our first record, which we both like a lot, is a natural progression into something new, which has a lot more depth to it. There's a lot more layering with the guitar, and the rhythms tend to be more in the pocket. We learned a lot when we did the Joy Division set at the Great Cover Up last year. Don was doing these little single line melodies, and I was doing what I do, and I don't know if people realize this, but I'm almost the rhythm guitar and the bassist at the same time. I write most of the songs, but ultimately, it's a team effort. Don will say let's try this instead of this, and then we go back and forth until we finally come up with something we like. Getting back to the Joy Division set, we learned that we didn't have to do as much as we were doing to create the impact that we wanted. We're just trying to do our own thing. So we're branching out, new guitar stuff and Don's got new effects he's working with. We're real excited, but I know that there are people who don't dig it.

CE: Well, that's going to happen with any band.

SK: Yeah, you're going to get that with anything. I guarantee that back in the early 80's, when Sonic Youth was doing the no wave thing, people were like, "What is this shit?" But they kept going with it, because that's what they do. For me, that's the only thing I know how to do, is music. Write music and perform. I feel confident doing it. That's all it is. It's not cocky or anything. It's just what I do, and if you dig it, you dig it, and if you don't, then you don't. You can't get around that.

CE: Yeah, briefly, I'm not a huge fan of music genres, so I won't ask you to do that, but how would you describe the sound of Terminus Victor?

SK: I call it "electro-rock." A lot of people think that we're industrial, or a lot of people think we're all out industrial meets rock, but I tend to disagree. We're almost like a rock-band doing more of an electronic thing. Not as the focus, but behind the rock. Whereas, industrial focuses on the technology. I don't feel that our music really focuses on the technology. So that's where the industrial thing really falls flat for me. I mean I get into all that stuff too. But I sit back and listen to that, and it's so abrasive. And we're not that at all. We're basically just loud rock music with a drum machine, period.

CE: Yeah.

SK: I think when it comes down to it, people feel the need to call it something, and that's probably the first thing they're going to think of.

CE: That's where genres come into play.

Then we went off on a tangent, and that's okay with me. I could have a two hour conversation about comic books. He turned the interview on me, but I'm far less interesting. He did have something interesting to say involving my interest in religion and philosophy.

SK: There's a lot of interesting people out there, with a lot of interesting beliefs. Hey, we all try to make the best of what we got. You know? And we all try to do the best we can. So I think [religion and philosophy] are really interesting topics to study. The most important thing I've learned though is that it is extremely important to respect everyone's viewpoints regardless if you agree with them or not. There's a lot more places to live out there besides Champaign-Urbana, or the US for that matter. Anyway, I'm sorry, go ahead.

CE: No, that's fine. Wherever it goes, you know? I was going to ask about the Battle of the Bands. I had the whole "The battle was a really great competition" spiel written up. And it was, but that's been said enough. And I didn't really want to ask any conventional questions on this. So, if your feelings about winning were a song? What would they be and why?

SK: Hmm...If they were a song?

CE: Don't you hate these questions?

SK: No I like em...makes me think. Ok, I got one. The Solips. (sings)"All you gotta do is the best you can," and that's exactly what we did. That song was the first thing that came to mind, and that's exactly what everybody did. I was impressed with so many bands. I was really surprised that it turned out the way it did. I'm still pretty shocked. I'm humbly grateful. I mean, that's great. We're just doing it like everybody else. I didn't see all the shows. But I've seen most of the bands before.

I thought when we played the first night, Equinox did a great job, and they had the crowd behind them. That was one thing, we didn't have as much crowd as the other bands did. We just got up there and played like we usually do. That's what we do. As a matter of fact, in Indianapolis last night, during our first song, the lights fell down on me. The low end was so thumping, they fell down on my shoulder. The club owner put em up, while we just kept playing. We are known to be loud. I know that for sure.

CE: Heh, yeah, my ears are still ringing.

SK: But we don't do it for loud's sake. We just happen to be loud. I think it has to do with the drum machine. When you see a drummer live, you don't really hear the bass drum as much as you feel it. Whereas our bass drum is pounding right at you and us, so we have to compensate for that, so we can hear ourselves over it, and it becomes a snowball effect where it just becomes loud. I don't see it as a problem. I mean, it is a rock show. When you come out to a show, be prepared for the loud.

*We wait for a Harley to start up and drive away*

SK: I love Harley's. I've actually gotten rhythmic ideas off the brum brum brum of the Harley. I really dig that sound. I actually do a side job at home, working with them.

CE: So this is just a pitch for...

SK: For Harley Davidson? Yeah, like they need it. That's what I'm here for, just to pitch Harley.

CE: Heh heh. *losing my voice* Would you like to see the Bud contest happen again next year?

SK: Yeah. There's plenty of bands here that deserve the exposure. There's so many bands here that are great. I'll tell you what, go on the road, go to different places, and you'll start to respect the Champaign scene more. I think some of us...I know I did...took for granted that there are so many bands. But then you go other places and there isn't a scene at all. Even if there's a couple bands, there's no cohesive scene. They just try to get on the road and do what they do. But here, there's such a community. And it's not just music. There's also film, art, dance, you know. The whole community seems tightly knit. I love it here. Ever since I moved here, I've thought this is a great place to see music and to meet people that are very interesting and that have different points of view. See, the last thing you want in life is to be comfortable. So many people fall into a rut. With here, I just can't, because there's so much stuff going on. The last thing I do is go home and watch television. When I go home, we figure out what's going on for dinner, I play with the kids for awhile. I go down and write music, and then if there's a show, I go out. That's what I do. That's my life. And it keeps me on my toes, in a really humble way. Sometimes it just takes the right environment. Bands see other bands and get inspired to do what they are doing. Then all of a sudden, you have a bunch of bands. That's what I really like about it here. Bands help each other out. I would have it no other way. I mean, we've played with bands out of town before who really snub us or really don't give us the time of day. I could never be like that. It's just not my style. We're all trying to make the best of the night. We're all trying to make money for the bar. We're trying to bring people in and trying to make a good show of it. The last thing we need is...you know... Community is very important. It inspires other people to do it too, and you never know what can come out of that. You gotta start somewhere. This scene's been going on for years, and it's only been growing and growing. There's always been good bands here. And I would hope to think that would continue.

CE: How would you spend the last day on Earth, assuming it was Earth's last day? Everyone has their dreams, about how they would spend it if they could spend it in any way. Scott's?

SK: Realistically, when it comes down to the last day. This is how I'd really like to spend it: Buy a bottle of wine, go see my son's little league game, and a cookout on the big seafood stand, and just hang out with my family. That's what I'm all about.

CE: What would you do for a Klondike Bar? I think everyone should know the answer.

SK: (long pause) What's a Klondike Bar?

CE: I don't really know...

SK: I probably wouldn't do much of anything.

CE: And my favorite question: If you and Don were super heroes, what would your powers, names, and costumes be? (There was some mandatory discussion of Aqua Man's usefulness.)

SK: Well, I don't know if I could come up with a name right now. When I think of Don, he's almost like Spock. He's very logical, robotic. He's like my tech guy, and I'm very much the opposite. So if I were to come up with names, I think I would go with like...I'd be like "Shadowplay," and I would hang out in corners and watch people. Because I think that I've been known to do that, and people never realize that I'm in places. And people get frightened because they didn't know I was in the corner somewhere. So I'd be Shadowplay, waiting in the shadows for something to go down so I can pounce on someone's ass. And then Don would definitely be like Dr. Vulcanology. Always just twitching his head and kind of like, "What'd you say?"

CE: Yeah with like eight arms. That'd make a sweet band. One guy that just stands in the corner and one guy with eight arms. That really kinda nails down what we do, you know?

SK: At this point, we realize that we are huge dorks.

CE: Got anything else to add? Words of wisdom and what not?

SK: People always come first. No matter what the situation.

So, when we uncool guys were done, only dust and my brother (who had been waiting for three hours) were left. I had learned a lot about Scott and a lot about Terminus Victor. I hope you did too. Check out TV at www.terminusvictor.com, or contact Scott at scottykim@hotmail.com to find out more. Scott said, "The last thing you want in life is to be comfortable." And it's true for me too. If you agree with us, then check out Terminus Victor for a pleasantly discomforting surprise.