Temple of Void’s doors are once again open.
After nearly four years, Mike Erdody (vocals, Acid Witch, ex-Failed), Alex Awn (guitar, Hellmouth), and Jason Pearce (drums), now joined by Justin Malek (bass, Hellmouth), announce the release of their new album, The Crawl, still on Relapse Records.
Poison Icon starts off at a good pace, placing intricate leads over a solid rhythm that is initially quite jerky, then ultimately relatively slow when the vocals appear, while it can also transform into a moment of jubilation when the harmonics become clear. The solo offers a welcome respite, then finally returns to saturation before giving way to Godless Cynic and its catchy groove, complemented by an oppressive dissonant touch to contrast the mix and give it a permanent aggressiveness even in its slowness. You quickly feel the urge to bang your head, while The Crawl develops intoxicating but scathing unhealthy tones in the leads that also fit perfectly with the darkness intended by the band, which remains in this abrasive Old School vein. The clear passage allows us to breathe for a moment with much more melodious sounds, then A Dead Issue brings us some airy keyboards that give the riffs that special atmosphere worthy of science fiction films. The composition’s particularly well-paced progression is noteworthy, ultimately giving way to Thy Mountain Eternal and its soothing introduction that transforms into haunting and heavy doom/death, yet remains relatively accessible and doesn’t hesitate to lighten up after moments of violence. Keyboards return to haunt the end of the track, giving way to Soulburn, where we first find groove and melodies, then very careful work on the rhythm section, allowing for a strong contrast between the guitar playing and the thick vocals. The keyboard layers transform the track into a truly epic soundtrack, as do the piercing leads that lead into The Twin Stranger, with its slowness, heavy sounds, and then its explosive, sticky, slightly crazy rhythm that doesn’t hesitate to burst into flames from time to time, becoming even more energetic each time, only to finally surrender to the airy harmonics that close the album.
Temple of Void unsurprisingly develops an intoxicating atmosphere with its clever mix of Death and Doom, creating a sound that is sometimes macabre, sometimes much more reassuring. The Crawl will undoubtedly find a place on many shelves!
90/100
