Year: 2022
Total Time: 40:14
Label: Relapse Records
After two excellent releases on Shadow Kingdom records, it’s time for American Death/Doomsters TEMPLE OF VOID to enter the “bigger” salons of Relapse Records via which they release their fourth album “Summoning The Slayer”.
The band started writing the new album, straight after the release of “The World That Was”, as due to the pandemic they were unable to tour to promote it. The process took about eight months, which is evident in how well-crafted the compositions of “Summoning The Slayer” sound.
As in the previous album, the core of the Americans’ music is the early 90s Doom/Death Metal, ideally balancing the most extreme element of Death Metal with the most atmospheric element of Doom Metal. But through the filter of several disparate Rock and Metal influences, TEMPLE OF VOID make their sound particularly special, avoiding falling into the trap of dozens of tribute/copycat bands.
“Summoning The Slayer” consists of seven songs, ranging from slow paced compositions to up-tempo Death Metal parts. The big surprise though is “Dissolution” that closes the album. A beautiful composition with acoustic guitars and flute, as if OPETH were covering “Planet Caravan” by BLACK SABBATH. On the rest of the album, the Americans ideally marry AUTOPSY/ASPHYX with bands such as the early PARADISE LOST, MORBID ANGEL as well as KATATONIA, TYPE O NEGATIVE and even ALICE IN CHAINS or SOUNDGARDEN.
Guitarists Don Durr and Alex Awn have harmoniously combined their heavy riffs with melodies on guitar, to the extent that even the band’s most “un-metal” grunge or shoegaze influence does not seem out of place at all. This has also been helped by the production of the multi-talented Arthur Rizk (POWER TRIP, SUMMERLANDS etc.) who makes sure that the characteristic massive sound of the band is maintained to its fullest. The icing on the cake is once again, the amazing cavernous vocals of Mike Erdody, who in my opinion is one of the best modern Death Metal singers.
My only complaint I could say about this new release is the penultimate song “The Transcending Horror”. I think it’s the weakest moment of the album, as it doesn’t have enough ideas to justify the six minutes it lasts, so it ends up sounding a bit monotonous, without any riffs or melodies that impresses.
TEMPLE OF VOID continue their upward course, with this new work simply confirming the talent and passion that the band has to produce Doom/Death Metal of excellent quality.
Rating: 7.5/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: TEMPLE OF VOID – Facebook Page
