Review Summary: Melancholy Road.
Behind the Eye, the first track off the Detroit Death-Doomer's fourth effort begins like most Hooded Menace acolytes start their records off, with the sound of dripping water from a septic cave. This common Death-Doom trope is followed by what sounds like the rewinding of tapes which projects the listener into a spinning world of filth and decay. This genre is not exactly known for its novel ideas or breathtaking musical prowess. What separates these bands from sounding like carbon copies of each other is how they play within the confines of the genre. The name of the game here is world-building. And the world that Temple of Void created here is rich in melancholy and regret.
Accessibility is a term that is commonly frowned upon in the metal community, and this is primarily due to it typically being associated with the domestication of an artist's sound. Fans want their metal to be visceral and oppressive. When an artist embraces a more desolate, perhaps even lugubrious sound, this often requires a dynamic shift that may be interpreted as tame. Bands who have undertaken these dynamic shifts may have a few fans proclaim that the band is a shell of their former selves. However, if this union of sentimental veracity and despair is done carefully, you have a poignant album that engages the listener from various avenues.
Summoning the Slayer sounds like a melodic fusion of Esoteric and Ahab. The guttural vocals from Mike "Tuff" Erdody could probably make a substantial blip on The Richter scale, and it is primarily the vocals that bring the aforementioned artist to mind. The rhythm section is strong, but it is not what demands the listener's attention. However, the lead work is rather remarkable. Now, we are talking about Doom here, so the golf clap that follows is for the level of restraint shown by the artist and how it brings that melancholic atmosphere to the next level.
The production on this record is phenomenal. The sense of space and level of imaging is superb, which would be nothing short of undesirable for most Death-Doom outfits. Interestingly enough, this clarity in no way diminishes the melancholic nature of the album; if anything, it enhances it. The production, much like the songs themselves, was a risk that paid off handsomely. With that being said, these risks may miss the mark for some fans.
The final track, Dissolution, is the perfect example of this shot in the dark. Clean vocals, albeit with heavy reverb, dance lightly above a slowly picked acoustic guitar that places the listener in a space of tranquility. Rather than this being a stark departure from the songs that preceded it, I found it to be a welcomed conclusion to the album. Moreover, the lyrics to this song are stirring:
"What takes your pain away? The healing words I failed to say?
A penance I could not pay, to bring you home and keep you
safe. And so many times I tried to stop my mind, or make it
right. And in the end, I failed to decide and lost the way as
fear took guide."
Temple of Void wore their hearts on their sleeves with this record. This was an act of complete and utter transparency. This album is more accessible than their previous work, not because they have domesticated their sound, but because they have reflected a mirror upon common struggle. This is a heavy album not only in tone, but in subject matter.
