“Macabre Ritual” is kicked off a little differently from other Black Metal albums. “Abyssal Cold Void” is actually an instrumental track with guitar overtones that are also away from the average. The guitars’ overtones are really saturated probably by a distortion pedal or an overdrive or similar. Those pedals let the overtones a little lower than usual plus the full saturation effect. It’s almost a fuzz pedal sound – fuzz pedals are one of my favorites. Maybe, just maybe, this saturation effect is from the amplifier as the mighty Marshalls have a similar sound. In short, this is not the standard Black Metal way of playing the guitars. I mean, not the usual nowadays. If memory serves me right Satyricon are using similar effects. Moreover, the guitars use full power chords instead of the usual licks and phrases to break the heavyness most bands are using. The outcome is a thick music in a very chaotic mood, which, by the way, is the essence of Black Metal.
With a close look at “In the Dungeon with the Rats” my dear child of the night will get the essence of Temple of Katharsis. I was talking about the guitars, but the drumming is also a little but different from the usual as it is a little bit minimalist with less notes. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fast when it needs to be. “The Archpriest of the Wolves” shows that very clearly with that machine gun drumming. However, pay close attention to the bass drums. See how it’s played. Pay attention how drummer Nodens uses his kit. I got fascinated by it.
The band was founded in 2011 by the infamous Hellmaster666 (bass/vox) and Homados (guitars), who were inspired Scandinavian and Greek Black Metal scenes. Their sound is dark, intense, and unrelenting, exploring themes of satanism, anti-religion, death, darkness, and war.
To date, Temple of Katharsis have released one demo, one EP, and three split albums, cementing their position as one of the most exciting acts in the underground black metal scene. The band has also shared the stage with legendary acts like Septicflesh, Womb of Maggots, Rotting Christ, Dark Vision, and Gaerea, captivating audiences with their intense and mesmerizing live performances.
Interestingly, there are no guitar solos in the album. That lack of guitar solos comes from the Hardcore tradition Black Metal incorporated in the now long gone past. Instead, guitarist Zeratul takes his time to fill in all the blanks in the songs with a creative way of playing. The solos are kind of incorporated into the music. This kind of playing is also madatory as the band is a power trio which requires a little more from the musicians to fill all the gaps and blanks in the songs. Well, from I’m standing, Temple of Katharsis did that pretty well.
Temple of Katharsis “Macabre Ritual” will be released on August 04th via Theogonia Records.
Track Listing:
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Abyssal Cold Void (Intro)
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The Burning Flood of Antichrist
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Erasure of Religious Existance
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In the Dungeons with the Rats
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Ο Αρχιερεύς Των Λύκων (The Archpriest of the Wolves)
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Inside the Medieval Crypt
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The Kingdom of Hades
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Macabre Ritual
Watch “The Burning Flood of Antichrist” official music video here:
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