While I’ve always fancied myself a fan of ’90s extreme metal maniacs Angelcorpse, it hasn’t been until the past 5 years that I feel I’ve fully grasped the depth of their work. Perhaps it’s because they convey a true darkness and misanthropy that the teenage mind, even at its angriest and most hormone-driven, can’t comprehend. Although Angelcorpse splintered in 2017 after yet another reunion run, their legacy lives on not just through their back catalog, but the subsequent creative endeavors of their respective members. One of these acts, for example, is Perdition Temple, who guitarist Gene Palubicki formed in 2009 after the culmination of Angelcorpse’s first reunion run (Yes, they’ve already pulled two “We’re back!” stunts, and I sure wouldn’t mind a third).
Much like Angelcorpse before them, Perdition Temple specialize in an unrelenting brand of nonstop blackened death metal insanity straight out of the ’90s. They’re also a power trio. Joining Palubicki in this latest incarnation is drummer Ron Parmer (Amon, Malevolent Creation, Brutality), as well as bassist/singer Alex Blume, best known for fronting Ares Kingdom, who formed out of the ashes of Order from Chaos: A band that was fronted by, get ready for this, Angelcorpse bassist/singer, Pete Helmkamp. In other words, Perdition Temple formed out of Angelcorpse who formed out of Order from Chaos, which also spawned Ares Kingdom whose frontman is in…Perdition Temple. And you thought the Deep Purple family tree was incestuous!
Anyways, back to Perdition Temple, whom this whole review is about, and their latest album, Malign Apotheosis. If there’s any phrase that best sums up this release, it’s “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Like every Perdition Temple album before it, the songs are short and anything but sweet, the riffs are fast and ominous, the drumming is top shelf, and the production conjures shadows of the ’90s extreme metal underbelly. “Resurrect Damnation” opens the affair in blasting fashion, boasting all of these tropes and more. “Kingdoms of the Bloodstained” continues the pummeling, its midtempo passage reminiscent of Steve Tucker era Morbid Angel, who’d probably be the closest comparison NOT part of the Order from Chaos family tree…then again, Tucker is currently in a supergroup with Palubicki (Malefic Throne), so there’s that.
By the time we get to “Death Insurrection”, which wraps up the album’s front half, two thoughts come to mind: 1. We already know what lies ahead, and 2. I wouldn’t want to be the drumkit that was used to record this album, because Parmer goes absolutely nuts with a blizzard of blasts, crashes, and rolls. “Malign Apotheosis” is the most memorable cut, worthy of title track honor with its Morbid Angel meets Immolation chug, while “Agony Unto Revelation” sounds like the Hell Awaits era Slayer formula taken to its absolute furthest extreme in terms of musical intensity. Come the closing disso-black-death devastation of “Fell Sorcery”, the listener is left hanging on for dear life, begging for mercy with none to be found.
While Malign Apotheosis pales in character and creativity in comparison to Angelcorpse’s oeuvre, it does a fine job building upon their unholy legacy, and the legacy of the unsung Order from Chaos for that matter as well. It’s the epitome of all things old school and evil, the performances never sounding phoned in or overly rehearsed, which makes up for the lack of variety within the songs and riffs themselves. As I said earlier, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and there’s NOTHING broken about Perdition Temple.
6 out of 10
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
For fans of: Angelcorpse, Morbid Angel, Immolation