Posted By Reverend Leviathan on Sep 14, 2018 | 4 comments

Band/Artist: Temple of Perdition
Release House: Vision of God Records
Genre: Atmospheric Black/Doom Metal
One Sentence Synopsis: Debut release from mysterious metal band.
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: 9-30-18
Running Time: 50 minutes
MSRP: $12.99
Website: Click Here
Sample/Music Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 4.0 Moons (Out of 5.0)

From the southern US and Finland, Temple of Perdition was formed in 2017 with one sole purpose: To bring the listener into the black mire of the void while reflecting upon the portrait of their existence.  They have managed to bring a variety of styles and sounds into a heavy mix of doom, Gothic, symphonic and atmospheric black metal that is sure to appease an array of different listeners.  Tetragrammaton is the band’s debut album, and even before its release it’s already gained much attention from the scene, especially from certain Christians who are condemning it for “Satanic imagery” and “questionable lyrics.”

Theme

Temple of Perdition brings an array of different influences with their debut of Tetragrammaton.  Some songs lean towards symphonic metal while others have more of an atmospheric black or doom metal influence, and then you have the few that mesh all three.  It’s very difficult to categorize them, which is good because that means they stick out.

“Symphony of the Flesh God” opens the album very powerfully with Gregorian chant-like vocals and then boom!  A smack in the face with some aggressive riffs and screams.  All of these elements mixed very well, creating an atmosphere of anguish, warning, and utter despair.  The female vocals running throughout the album really compliment the music, especially in the instrumental “Damon’s Lullaby.”  Later you come to the more atmospheric doom song, “Adonai,” a great blend of slow, steady heaviness as a man screams out to God for forgiveness.  That powerful emotion streams to the very end of the final track.

Presentation

I was quite impressed with the band’s blending the different styles of metal and making it so hard to place them in one particular genre.  My favorite styles of metal are doom, atmospheric black, death, and symphonic; they nailed three out of four.  With such variation in the music it would’ve been cool hearing different ranges of vocals.

“Adonai” is probably my favorite song.  It’s that perfect mesh of doom and atmospheric black metal, with powerful and heartfelt lyrics.  The mood of the music and deliverance is just awesome throughout it.  The guitars and background vocals really stick out to me.  I already liked the demo version.  This finalized version made me love it.  I find it pretty ironic that some Christians have condemned this band with a song like this one.

Gothic Fit

Certain types of metal are pretty well-liked in the Goth scene, black and doom being two of the biggest in my experience.  Temple of Perdition brings that dark atmosphere present in both styles of metal, and Goths will certainly enjoy that aspect of the album.  Lyrically as well, I believe some will appreciate the spirituality of it, and also relate to the anguish that the vocalist shares in his verses.

Closing Thoughts

Tetragrammaton is a taste of things to come from Temple of Perdition, and it left me hungry for more!  I hope to hear more from these guys in the future, as they have elements that are lacking in a lot of today’s metal bands.

       Theme: 4.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Presentation: 4.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Gothic Fit: 3.5 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Final Score (not an average): 4.0 Moons (out of 5.0)