Temple of Blood - Prepare for the Judgment of Mankind

Hailing from Alabama of all places, comes a new speed/thrash metal band called Temple of Blood.  Musically the band is very tight and will flood your speakers with ultra-fast riffing, double bass galore, and tons of screaming solos.  Just check out the blazing intro to the third track, "Return to Eden" and you'll find your head spinning.  Fans of Annihilator, Dark Angel, Step Cousin, Megadeth, and old Deliverance should eat this stuff up.  There is also some musical hints of bands like Lament and Extol in some of the slower tempo stuff.  The problem is...sometimes the band just freakin' goes off and sounds incredible.  And at other times you are thinking...is this the same band?  Not that they screw up or anything, but that it just gets a tad boring and uneventful.  Personally, I think the band is at their best and most interesting when they are hitting on all cylinders at high speed.

Vocally, the band is a bit of a disappointment to me.  While there are some very good, shining moments, the overall impression I get is a weak mix of Megadeth, Deliverance, and King Diamond, with just not enough of the attitude that needs to be present when singing to this style of music.  The guy's not bad really, just not as good as I would've liked to have heard.  He just seems to have no direction at times....rambling aimlessly with the occasional high-pitched scream.  The band does close the album on a solid note with a cover of the Deadly Blessing song "Deliver Us From Evil" with Ski himself on vocals.  Very nice!

Production and packaging are pretty good for an indie release, and the band does a nice job with the lyrics, which are very Christ-centered.  Not a bad first effort.  I can see where the band could stand some improvement, but the potential is definitely there.

Rating: 75/100

Review By: Matt Morrow

Label: Independent

Total Songs: 10

Total Time: 42:05

Tracklisting: 1. Destruction of the Twin Cities, 2. Conviction, 3. Return to Eden, 4. Spiritual Warfare, 5. Trampling the Serpent, 6. Seeking the Truth, 7. Legion of the Crypts, 8. The Ultimate Sacrifice, 9. Realm of Insufferable Burning, 10. Deliver Us From Evil.

Best Songs: Tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, & 10

Band Lineup: Matt Barnes - Guitar, Jim Mullis - Vocals/Guitar, Garth Lovvorn - Bass, Lance Wright - Drums.

Band Website: http://www.templeofblood.net