Biography
Categorizing the part-British, part-Hungarian outfit To-Mera has never been straightforward. Listeners generally place the group within metal, yet its exploratory approach spans progressive, goth, and alternative strains while folding in death and black elements. Metal inspirations range from Dream Theater and Symphony X to Dark Funeral, Meshuggah, Opeth, and Lacuna Coil, but additional sources encompass jazz, European classical traditions, East European folk, and broader world music. Echoes of Yes, Tori Amos, and Chick Corea’s 1970s Return to Forever also surface indirectly. Among metal acts, few have pursued jazz seriously, yet both electric fusion and acoustic post-bop have shaped the band’s output.
To-Mera originated in South Oxfordshire, England, during early 2004 when Hungarian vocalist Julie Kiss—born in the early ’80s and known for an ethereal, angelic delivery rooted in goth rock and goth metal—and British bassist Lee Barrett formed the project, drawing its name from Kiss’s Egyptology interest. Kiss had previously fronted the Hungarian goth metal band Without Face, established in 1997, while Barrett’s credits included Extreme Noise Terror along with Disgust and the industrial project Mussolini Headkick. Hungarian drummer Akos Pirisi joined soon afterward, and guitarist Tom MacLean, formerly of Forlorn Hope and Fubar, entered after encountering Kiss at a Dillinger Escape Plan show in London; MacLean expressed admiration for her Without Face recordings, confirming shared musical goals. In summer 2005 the Kiss/Barrett/MacLean/Pirisi lineup tracked its debut demo, which producer Brett Caldas-Lima mixed in France.
Keyboardist Hugo Sheppard’s arrival turned the band into a quintet. The demo secured a Candlelight Records contract, leading to the 2006 release of the official debut Transcendental, again produced by Caldas-Lima. That same year Pirisi departed and Paul Westwood, late of the London band Foe, took over drums. Sheppard exited in 2007; Hen, previously with Haken, assumed keyboard duties. After Candlelight issued the second album Delusions in early 2008, co-founder Barrett announced his exit, and Mark Harrington, formerly of the London group Demagogue, joined on bass.
To-Mera originated in South Oxfordshire, England, during early 2004 when Hungarian vocalist Julie Kiss—born in the early ’80s and known for an ethereal, angelic delivery rooted in goth rock and goth metal—and British bassist Lee Barrett formed the project, drawing its name from Kiss’s Egyptology interest. Kiss had previously fronted the Hungarian goth metal band Without Face, established in 1997, while Barrett’s credits included Extreme Noise Terror along with Disgust and the industrial project Mussolini Headkick. Hungarian drummer Akos Pirisi joined soon afterward, and guitarist Tom MacLean, formerly of Forlorn Hope and Fubar, entered after encountering Kiss at a Dillinger Escape Plan show in London; MacLean expressed admiration for her Without Face recordings, confirming shared musical goals. In summer 2005 the Kiss/Barrett/MacLean/Pirisi lineup tracked its debut demo, which producer Brett Caldas-Lima mixed in France.
Keyboardist Hugo Sheppard’s arrival turned the band into a quintet. The demo secured a Candlelight Records contract, leading to the 2006 release of the official debut Transcendental, again produced by Caldas-Lima. That same year Pirisi departed and Paul Westwood, late of the London band Foe, took over drums. Sheppard exited in 2007; Hen, previously with Haken, assumed keyboard duties. After Candlelight issued the second album Delusions in early 2008, co-founder Barrett announced his exit, and Mark Harrington, formerly of the London group Demagogue, joined on bass.
Albums
