Verses of Fire

Having formed in 1998 and releasing their first demo in 1999 Temple Of Baal could almost be viewed being a bridge between the Los Legiones Noires sound of the 90's French Black Metal scene and the likes of Aosoth, Merrimack and Glorior Belli really began to put the country on the map a few years later with the “Orthodox” sound. Sonically there are still traces of those early Bathory-covering days of Temple Of Baal as well as their contemporaries who came along in the years after like Aosoth, but increasingly over the years a harsher and more abrasive sound a la unrelenting countrymen Antaeus and Arkhon Infaustus, including a large dose of Death Metal along with the latter. In spite of covering all these sonic bases Temple Of Baal have never really broken out of the shadow of their influences and counterparts, and this album is a perfect demonstration of exactly where they have been going right and where they have been going wrong. More than ever it feels like the band are throwing themselves headlong into this, but ultimately their lukewarm status in many people's minds probably won't change thanks to it.

Everything that you might want on a modern Black/Death Metal album occurs here on at least one track, whether it is the heads down blasting of “Bloodangel”, the Black/Thrash throwback tempos and wailing on “Golden Wings Of Azazel” or the modern Death Metal groove and big juddering riffs of “Gates Of Mansion” and closing track “Walls Of Fire” respectively. For the most part it is all pretty straight-forward and to the book, witnessed by the smattering of Morbid Angel-worshipping solos throughout the album, but a few moments of variance are allowed to break through as well. In particular I like the colossally sinister tone in the second half of “ Lord Of The Raging Seas” and the malicious melody, interesting riff patterns and clean vocals found on album centrepiece “Arcana Silentium.” It's a far cry from the likes of other French acts Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega's progressive tendencies, but nevertheless Temple Of Baal prove that they are anything but one trick pony's- and therein lies half the problem.

At just over an hour long this album is choc-full of brilliant musical ideas (in fact only “Serpens Luminis” comes close to being a filler), but in spite of this there is no unifying force to connect all these songs together. The result is a chaotic album which if you were pressed to think about you would likely be unable to recall much of. If a friend asked you to describe what Temple Of Baal exactly sounded like based on this album you would be at a total loss. It is utterly brilliant in places to be sure, but for a band whose timeline goes all the way back to when Black Metal was a much simpler affair Temple Of Baal seem to have forgotten the truth that sometimes less is more. Until they re-learn that art they will continue to be overlooked. [7/10]

From WAR ON ALL FRONTS A.D. 2013 zine- www.facebook.com/waronallfronts

Imagine a bunch of prolific death and black metal bands meeting for a moonlit nocturnal feast in worship of the dark arts. Imagine the feast going particularly wild and amidst a child is conceived. Imagine that child growing up not knowing who its parents are, but having a reasonable number of suspects. Then imagine the bastard child trying to please them all by carrying on all their works mixed together. Can you imagine it? Good on you, then you will have a slight grasp of what ‘Verses of Fire’ is about.

The influences are really all over the place on this one. Listening through the album I find myself noting distinct similarities to Svartsyn, Naglfar, Deathspell Omega, Suffocation, Marduk, Autopsy, Amon Amarth, Demonical, Morbid Angel and Slayer. Some of these influences pass only for brief passages but the obvious similarities yet makes them very noticeable. Temple of Baal’s fusion of death and black metal with their fairly technical hooks and twists makes Svartsyn’s sound the most notable of the acts mentioned, particularly in the more black-infused passages with its variation between blasting up-tempo and atmospheric mid-tempo sections. In the more death-infused up-tempo parts of ‘Verses of Fire’ old-school revivalists like Demonical and partly Autopsy springs to mind. In these parts the melodic choruses are notable and sometimes reach Amon Amarth-epic proportions, for instance in ‘Gates of Death’. Between this, there are parts resembling more technical NY death metal as in ‘Το αστέρι 418’, Marduk-styled blasts on ‘Bloodangel’ and some atonal riffs worthy of Deathspell Omega. Throughout the album the drums follow the guitar work with accuracy and moves well between the styles of death and black.

The vocals of Amduscias operates in a slightly growling black metal fashion sometimes moving out of that zone in chanting spoken words and a full on Tom Araya-scream in ‘Golden Wings of Azazel’. The vocals work well and the band knows how to handle their instruments. This surely is no inexperienced garage-band at work. They have studied their influences well and pay a fair tribute to their legacy. In theory this ought to work out as a good effort, the problem is it does not.

I generally like bands fusing the styles of other acts, creating their own sound in the end. The problem with ‘Verses of Fire’ is the lack of the latter. The influences never really merge and the album becomes more of an all-star jam lacking an identity of its own. Some of the melodies are catchy and enjoyable, but that is about it. It is clear Temple of Baal tried to create something atmospheric on this piece, particularly in the mid-tempo parts, but the lack of continuity prevents a solid atmosphere to ever emerge. Some attempts are fair, but these tend to be overtly repeated. When the same trick is executed in not so fortunate passages it becomes outright annoying. This is somewhat enigmatic since the band knows how to build proper song structures but really only succeeds in producing a few decent tunes on ‘Verses of Fire’. In theory I should enjoy this, but I find myself unable to do so. The lack of coherency and identity makes this an uninspiring 60 minute ride.

The production is truly symptomatic of ‘Verses of Fire’. It is well executed balancing the instruments and vocals exemplary, yet there is nothing that breaks out taking the listener to another level. It continues being awesome in theory throughout the entire album but utter fails to enhance the listening experience. ‘Verses of Fire’ truly puzzles me, unfortunately not in an album-of-the-year sense, but rather in a why-is-that-drunk-taking-a-piss-in-an-empty-beer-can-and-then-mistaking-it-for-the-one-he-just-cracked fashion.


Originally written for www.metalcovenant.com