Did you already hear about the new Norwegian band Tempel? If not, it’s time to get to know them! Tempel’s line-up consists of the three brothers Gjermundrød, with Kvelertak-drummer Kjetil probably being the most known out of them. The other two of those brothers are guitarist Espen and bass player/vocalist Inge. Besides those three Gjermundrød brothers Tempel also consists of guitarist Andreas Espolin Johnson. However, Kjetil won’t be part of Tempel’s live line-up, due to his busy schedule with Kvelertak. Live, he will be replaced by Jonas Usterud Ronningen. On March the 22nd Tempel released its self-titled debut album.
Immediately during the first moments of opening track Vendetta two things are standing out: the very big dose of energy and Inge’s intense shouting hardcore-like vocals that are extremely raw and go through marrow and bone due to their intensity.
Add to that the at moments thrashy, tight riffs by Espen and Andreas, like in that same opener and Afterlife, as well as their melodic guitars, such as in Confusion and Forest Cemetry, in which the guitar at some moments sounds a bit oriental. These two last-mentioned tracks are also perfect examples of the ripping solos this album contains, the solo in Forest Cemetry even being a twin-guitar-solo. Another extremely ripping solo that is worth mentioning can be heard in Torches.
Tempel is partly formed by drummer Kjetil, so this debut of course also contains his pounding, tight drumming, like in Fortress, which also shows Inge’s thumping bass, and Uninvited, a track in which there is a perfect balance between extremity and catchiness, shrouded in an atmospheric vibe.
Those three terms probably are the most fitting to describe Tempel’s self-titled debut: extreme, catchy and atmospheric. Take for example the aforementioned Afterlife, which sounds quite thrashy but at times also pretty atmospheric, partly due to the addition of clean, more quiet vocals, that can also be heard in combination with the already mentioned shouts. When something like atmospheric thrash would be a thing, it would be perfect to describe this track. Those clean, more quiet vocals can also be heard in closing track Farewell, which is perfectly balanced between extreme and atmospheric vibes, and Confusion, which is balancing between catchy and atmospheric vibes. Besides that the rhythm-change halfway Confusion also adds a bit of a proggy vibe to this track. The end of this track however is a bit of a downside, it sounds a bit too abrupt if you ask me.
With this self-titled debut Tempel delivers a big dose of energy and a big dose of variation, all in a very well executed way and without exaggerating it. Atmospheric vibes, ripping guitars, pounding drums, nice vocals in different styles, heavy parts, melodic parts, it’s all present on this album. This is an album that almost can’t get boring. Tempel’s self-titled debut isn’t just a debut, it became an amazingly strong debut!
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Hi!
I’m Tim van Velthuysen and I started DutchMetalManiac back in 2014. I’m 27 years old and I live in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Of course, I like metal, but I can also appreciate other musical styles. However, metal is what I mostly listen to. I also like going to concerts, meeting with friends and watching movies (especially arthouse).
