Death metal can hardly get more dedicated and passionate about the old school Floridian sound than TEMPLE OF DREAD on their fifth album “God of the Godless”.
This might have something to do with the band being located on the German North Sea island of Spiekeroog and the famously laconic and stubborn character of the East Frisian people.
Luckily, TEMPLE OF DREAD are not mired in a swamp of stale nostalgia. Although “God of the Godless” comes with the brutal power of harsh winter storms and the gritty texture of the often fierce North Sea weather, the East Frisians have also refined the cinematic aspects of their sound that they had firmly established on the predecessor “Beyond Acheron” (2023).
Building on their brutal death metal base, TEMPLE OF DREAD also work with dark and heavy parts as well as a surprising dash of melancholia – and even some knife-tips of black metal spice. There is even a return of a guest-contribution by former MORGOTH, now INSIDIOUS DISEASE and ASINHELL vocalist Marc Grewe.
Lyrically, TEMPLE OF DREAD continue to upgrade the genre’s traditional splatter-themes by translating them into the realm of classical myth. For the lyrics of “God of the Godless”, the East Frisians continue the fruitful collaboration with their friend and word-smith, the psychologist Frank “Doc” Albers.
TEMPLE OF DREAD also relied once more on the celebrated Italian artist Paolo Girardi to illustrate the album’s general theme. The cover art of “God of the Godless” features the ferryman of the ancient Greek underworld again. In their story, Charon has risen from the mire to become the new god of the dead by overthrowing Hades.
The massive production of “God of the Godless” comes courtesy of drummer Jörg Uken, who owns and runs the renowned death metal smithy Soundlodge Tonstudio, in which leading acts of the scene such as DEW-SCENTED, GOD DETHRONED, OBSCENITY, SUICIDAL ANGELS, and WARPATH among many others have also recorded albums.
TEMPLE OF DREAD came into being on Spiekeroog in 2017 when guitarist Markus Bünnemeyer decided to materialise his craving for old school death metal. In 2018, he was joined by singer Jens Finger and drummer Jörg Uken, with both of whom Bünnemeyer was also active in SLAUGHTERDAY. The three-piece has maintained a stable line-up ever since. Their first full-length “Blood Craving Mantras” (2019) was an immediate success in death metal circles and the hard working trio has proved extremely creative with “World Sacrifice” (2020) and the critically acclaimed “Hades Unleashed” (2021) following in rapid succession.
While “Beyond Acheron” (2023) took a little longer, TEMPLE OF DREAD are now back on the fast track. Even better, the East Frisians have decided that it is time to leave their islands and go raiding the rest of the world by performing live.
Watch out for crushing Frisian death metal in your neighbourhood.
With “God of the Godless”, TEMPLE OF DREAD are again pushing the benchmark for intelligent death metal brutality to a higher level!
TEMPLE OF DREAD – “God Of The Godless” tracklisting:
1. Carnage Ritual
2. Spawn Of Filth
3. Black Scream
4. Sacrificial Dawn
5. God Of The Godless
6. Prophetic Misanthropy
7. Monstrosity Divine
8. Terminal Putrefaction
9. Demise Of Olympus
Check out TEMPLE OF DREAD – “Carnage Ritual”, official lyric video below:
