The scene is set. Our protagonist steps out from the wood, into a clearing on a ledge high above the vast plains. He stands in waistcoat and wide hat, a toughened hand raised to his eyes as he surveys the red dawn before him. The opening vibrations twist, turn & finally gel into the plundering riff of “The Reaper” as a Peter Steele-type vocal floats on top.
He awaits the next chapter in a dark alley. “Closer.” No, Dennis Eckersley does not appear. What does materialize is a dark & eerie vibe, buoyed on a military drum pattern. A riff the likes that would frighten Dave Chandler rises out of the gloom and smashes him with a hammer blow, exhausting one of his 9 lives.
Stumbling around the corner and into a local honky-tonk, our hero grabs a brew as the band slams into “Black Out The Sun,” an uptempo rocker that smacks of vintage CULT. The solo carves like Duffy and Steele-like pipes warm the mic. A beer later, they take things down a bit to slice the ear with “Razor Me.” If you can say AIC - “Jar Of Flies,” I can.
Our guy likes a visit to town as much as anybody but we know he’s a loner and it’s time to blow this popsicle stand. Out into “The Fields” he goes, on a soundtrack of wind-swept riffs & melodies. Once again, THE CULT vibes, this time circa “Under The Midnight Sun,” are evident, with the pretty guest vox of Felicia Selin floating in.
Is “Someone Else” there? As the town disappears in the rear view, there may be, and they’re heralded by a rhythm of churning guitar & drums that sound equally measured in an oddly happy tone as well as tribally chaotic. At one point, there’s a descent into cacophony that borders on “Revolution 9” level before resolving to the path to the foothills.
The noise of the city, its minions and “All Their Lies” are finally relegated to the past by the blasting, overdriven bass & axe attack that comes next. This is the spirit of MOTÖRHEAD rising up in all its vinegar. If there was a lineup of Clarke-Steele-Taylor, this would be the fruit it would bear & it’s a glorifious purge.
Finally, having followed “The Rails” out into the wilderness, the protagonist strolls back up to the precipice. He turns to face the gathering storm on the horizon and a half smile crosses his visage as the guitar & bass interplay rises from a dusty introspection to a fitting and powerful climax. He walks back into the forest, satisfied. But he knows another trip into “…The Ashes” will soon fill his soul.
-Ray Dorsey
TEMPLE OF DISCORD:
Jon Ericson Warnoff - bass
Peter Melender - drums
Mattias Marklund - vocals & guitars
Niklas Viklund - guitars
Comments