Album Review: Tetrarch – The Ugly Side Of Me (Napalm Records)

Modern metal/hard rock stars Tetrarch are back with their third album, ‘The Ugly Side Of Me’, out via Napalm Records on May 9th, 2025.

Flying the flag proudly for nu metal, while twisted the formula, and including layers of rock, industrial, and more, Tetrarch’s new album is as unique as everything the band has done before. Yet, The Ugly Side of Me is different. Showcasing a band who has distilled everything great about themselves into one big sounding release.

Having tightened up their sound, refined the experimentation, and gone the route of wall to wall anthems, this new album is Tetrarch at their best. Hitting a crisp series of highs with the first part of the album. Where we get nu-focused heavyweight hits in the form of Anything Like Myself, which has a mighty chorus, and Never Again (Parasite), a track with some melodic dramatic elements. Before Live Not Fantasize showcases the garish, but lovable industrial side of the band off. If you had any doubts about the anthemic qualities of this album, this track (alongside what came before) blows them away. Especially when it comes with a screaming guitar solo too.

Stompy and groovy, there’s even more intense instrumentation with the chunky Erase, a track that makes head banging to this kind of music so easy. Then things really get a bit ‘90s’ , alternatively so, with The Only Thing I’ve Got, which will please those looking for a bit more of that nostalgic sound, but doesn’t quite hook in the way others have. It’s solid and likable, but the chorus doesn’t quite spark.

Which is certainly not the case with Best of Luck or Crawl, the former’s infectious aggression being at the forefront, while the latter is salaciously nu-infused. There’s really nothing complex here, and Tetrarch’s approach is focused, which really does make it so digestible. Accessible, to some degree, even though a nu-metal appreciation is needed.

Cold brings back the big industrial vibes, where the highlight is (once again) a kickass chorus. Before the album wraps up with Headspace and the title track. Two more anthemic hits that thrill and put an emphatic exclamation point on the record as a whole. Tetrarch’s goal was (clearly) to show off their growth, and to do that, they’ve refined their sound to what we have here. It’s the kind of thinking that tells you this band are eyeing up even bigger things in the future.

Based off what is heard here, they’re on an unstoppable upward trajectory.

Tetrarch – The Ugly Side of Me Track Listing:

1. Anything Like Myself
2. Never Again (Parasite)
3. Live Not Fantasize
4. Erase
5. The Only Thing I’ve Got
6. Best of Luck
7. Crawl
8. Cold
9. Headspace
10. The Ugly Side of Me

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