When Temple of Void released their last album, The World That Was, I wondered aloud where the band could go from there. They had released, as far as I was concerned, a death/doom monolith that transcended the very concept of death/doom. And considering that moniker has been used to describe bands as diverse as My Dying Bride and Cianide, it’s a pretty broad concept. Yet here’s a band of zealous musicians committed to pushing the genre’s boundaries even further, naysayers be damned, over three decades since its advent.
The band’s latest album, Summoning the Slayer, doesn’t push these boundaries any further than The World That Was, but it does continue their friendly competition with Hooded Menace to be the world’s least death/doom death/doom band (I type this tongue in cheek, of course). Yet whereas Hooded Menace fleshes out their sound with melodic death metal tinges and flashes of 80s traditional metal akin to Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest, Temple of Void’s influences range from the avant-garde explorations of Into the Pandemonium era Celtic Frost to the over the top suites of classic 70s prog. There’s also an emphasis on vast atmosphere and goth meets funeral doom melodies for good measure.
It’s also noticeable right off the bat that the production is far more polished and refined than past Temple of Void releases. This may be a turn off for those who like their death metal on the raw and filthy side, but if that’s the case, there’s no shortage of bands specializing in that style for you to check out. That said, this doesn’t mean the band sacrifices heaviness altogether. “Behind the Eye” is a punishing opener, and “Engulfed” is an utterly dismal slab of death/doom with an emphasis on death. It’s painfully slow and pummeling, but the lead riff is pure death that’s bound to make headbangers “OUGH!” in joy.
The remainder of the album focuses largely on the creative exploration I mentioned at the beginning of this review. Cuts like “Deathtouch” and “A Sequence of Rot” are multifaceted prog infused epics, boasting meandering passages and mesmeric melodies that border on psych. In the case of “A Sequence of Rot”, the only thing truly deadly about it are the guttural vocals and grim instrumentation. The brooding “Hex, Curse & Conjuration” and subtly gothic “The Transcending Horror” further beguile, before the album closes with the most surprising cut of all, “Dissolution”. One part Jethro Tull, one part CSNY, and all parts hauntingly retro, “Dissolution” closes things out on a bittersweet progressive folk note.
Now this raises a question that’s worth asking: Is Summoning the Slayer the beginning of the end for Temple of Void’s death/doom era? While not as prolific as say Opeth, they’re definitely at a point in their career where they could pull a creative 180 and fans will go along for the ride regardless. I, for one, look forward to wherever this ride may go, whether it delve further into the creative unknown or retreat back into the hellish death/doom abyss. Say what you will, but you can’t say Temple of Void DOESN’T keep things interesting!
7 out of 10
Label: Relapse Records
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
For fans of: Hooded Menace, Paradise Lost, Celtic Frost