Year: 2020
Total Time: 37:36
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Temple of Void comes from historic Detroit and, for those who have not been living under a rock for the last ten years, they are one of the best Death Metal bands of the last decade. The sound they specialize in, goes all the way back to the early 90s and the Death Doom decay of AUTOPSY as well as the Doom Death dread of PARADISE LOST’s infamous debut “Lost Paradise”. “Lords of Death”, the group’s previous effort, is for me one of the best Death Metal albums of the 10s. So, I was very curious to see if they could top that with their new record.
“The World That Was” grabs you by the throat straight away with “A Beast Among Us.” Old-school riffing and tempos that alternate between fast and slow, bring to mind the Death Doom legends ASPHYX, before the band makes a small atmospheric break and concludes the song in an extremely punishing Funeral Doom fashion. “Self-Schism” that follows, marries huge guitars reminiscing of Jerry Cantrell’s work in ALICE IN CHAINS with the stifling, end-of-the-world atmosphere of NEUROSIS (great use of synths here), always through the group’s distinctive Death Metal style. I would love to interview these guys just to talk about music and their influences one day! The wonderful acoustic interlude “A Single Obolus” calms the spirits for a moment, giving you a chance to absorb the album’s darkness. The depressive melodies of despair found in KATATONIA’s “Brave Murder Day” haunt the fourth track “Leave The Light Behind”. TEMPLE OF VOID continue to explore new grounds (as they did with “Graven Desires” in 2017) and in this track they bring in influences ranging from Gothic to Alternative Rock and a very effective use of clean vocals in the chorus. The quintet returns to familiar mid-tempo paths with “Casket Of Shame” generously dropping riffs left and right, slowly building up to an impressive finale with some epic BOLT THROWER guitar leads. The longest and perhaps best song on the album, was left for the end. Clocking in just under 10 minutes, “The World That Was” closes triumphantly this otherworldly musical journey. A Doom Death Metal masterpiece. An amalgam of sounds that transcends genres, as it even enters the realms of Post Rock and classic Heavy Metal!
Alex Awn along with newcomer Don Durr, did a great job delivering groovy riffs and mournful melodies with their guitars, while Brent Satterly on bass added some extra layers of rhythmic heaviness. Jason Pearce, tight as ever, led the dance macabre with his drums and Mike Erdody’s deep and brutal vocals completed the band’s cavernous sound. I have to say that Erdody’s voice in one of the band’s highlights and contributes greatly to their unique identity that to seems to develop more and more with each release. I cannot say for sure yet whether “The World That Was” will surpass “Lords of Death”, but I know already that it will be in my top ten list of 2020. The only drawback I could find is the duration of the record; 37 minutes is not enough! We want more! I can’t wait to see where these 5 guys will take Death Doom Metal in the future!
Rating: 8.5/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: Temple Of Void – Facebook Page
