Temple of Dread – Hades Unleashed Review

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Some bands we review more than the others. There’s no way of telling. We had the honor and the pleasure of reviewing the two former albums of Temple of the Dread; 2019’s “Blood Craving Mantras” and 2020’s “World Sacrifice.” On both we emphasized the band’s will to power. It’s the good old school Death Metal with no flying colors or embellishments or nothing similar. Plain and simple power and disgust. Now we have the honor to review this new “Hades Unleashed” an album that according to the band members promises to be the fastest and heaviuest they’ve ever made. If that’s even possible. As a matter it is. Promisse made, promisse kept. This album has nine of the deadliest songs Temple of the Dread have ever recorded. Restlessly “Hades Unleashed” goes around and there is not even a minute for the fan to cool down.

The killing machine is ready with “Aithon’s Hunger,” the track that keeps totally the promise. It’s heavy and fast as hell. One very important thing. The fan may think that being fast and heavy as hell means unpolished and carelles instrumentals. Far away from the truth. Temple of the Dread musicians teach here a lesson of how a band can be the pain-in-the-neck of the guardians of the good taste and at the same time play their instruments flawlessly. Another important thing about Temple of the Dread is that they maintain and keep a personality. It’s possible to listen to an album of them and say ‘Ah, that’s Temple of the Dread for sure.’ It’s a mix of old school American Death Metal with some touches of Slayer as in “Wrath of the Gods (Furor Divinus)” where the flow of quickly and sharp guitar riffing gives the tone of the song.

As I said “Hades Unleashed” has a constant and insistent pounding flow that goes thorughout the album. However, as it is natural, there are some breaks as if they were to the fan take a deep breath and go on headbanging. That’s what we can see in “Threefold Agony” a song that slows down a little – in some passages, if you know what I’m saying – but keeps the heaviness. It’s great to listen to the insane and sharp guitar interventions. The dreadful voice in it gives the darker tone mixed with the neat instrumentals. A quick look to the guitar riffing would be really great. Markus Bünnemeyer does a terrific job here.

Temple of Dread “Hades Unleashed” will be released on July 23rd via Testimony Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Aithon`s Hunger
  2. Necromanteion
  3. Wrath of the Gods (Furor Divinus)
  4. Threefold Agony
  5. Empyrean
  6. Crypts of the Gorgon
  7. Nefarious, I
  8. Whores of Pompeii
  9. Procession to Tartarus

Watch “Wrath of the Gods (Furor Divinus)” official video here: