Temple of Void 

Demo MXIII (May 13, 2013)  – Album Review – CD // Cassette // DD

Of Terror and the Supernatural (September 30, 2014) Album Review – Vinyl // CD // Cassette // DD

Lords of Death (May 1, 2017) Album Review – CD // DD

Reviewed by Terry “The Ancient One” Cuyler

Motor City’s Metal Monsters

Line Up:
Alex Awn – Guitar
Eric Blanchard – Guitar
Mike Erdody – Vocals
Jason Pearce – Drums
Brent Satterly – Bass

Review:
Hey Metalheads, this The Ancient One, and this is my special shout out for fellow Michiganders Temple of Void from Detroit. In Michigan we have a roaring underground metal scene full of amazing bands people fail to notice. Failing to notice Temple of Void is mighty damn difficult. For more than a decade now they have been working the metal underground with their special blend of somber sounds from the early British doom and Devastating Old School American death metal. This has earned them a reputation and a large following in the underground.

MMXIII

Not letting their acclaim go to waste Temple of Void took matters into their own hands by self  producing and releasing “Demo MMXIII” on May of 2013. Soon after the band signed on with four different record labels to distribute it across the world meeting with great success from the underground. This 20 minute 27 second Demo packs quite a punch. While it’s a 3 track offering which can be found on the bands debut album it serves as a preview of what is to come in “Of Terror and the Supernatural.” Of its 3 songs my favorite is ‘Bargain in Death’  a song I believe comes from a movie or short story about a person that tries to scam their life insurance by making people think he is dead through the use of a drug that put him in a deathlike state. Only to awaken buried alive and discover he was double crossed by his conspirators who have no intention of digging him up and sharing the loot. The 10:36 track expresses the mood of the song’s theme amazingly well. Beginning like a funeral procession with a somber plodding doom sludge riff that slows to a near stop before the tempo picks up into panicked horror while the vocalist describes what it might be like to try and dig oneself out of the grave and die buried alive.

 
Of Terror and the Supernatural

A Little more than a year later the band released a 2^nd album called “Of Terror and the Supernatural.” A 48 minutes; 8 songs of devastatingly kick ass Doomaphonic Sonic awesomeness that had me hooked after I sampled it’s first song ‘The Embalmers Art’ a demonic ditty about a murderous mortician that made art out of his victims. ‘Savage Howl’ the albums 2^nd  track is a song about the terror of being hunted by a werewolf. Besides the fact I really dig the werewolf horror genre I love the heavy drums and guitar tones that create a seance of shock.

Lords Of Death

If you enjoy these first two albums you will be happy to know ToV has released it’s 3^rd album “Lords of Death” which is meeting with very favorable reviews from being called “A beastly band from the death-encrusted, doom-laden city of Detroit, MI” by Metal Sucks I’d say I agree with their assessment. “Lords of Death” is full of loud sludge and fuzz laden riffs with beastly growling vocals that feel slow until they get rolling like a tank. The best way I could describe this album is Cannibal Corpses meets Cathedral. This album is going quick so I’d recommend putting in your order as soon as you can.  Highly Recommend for the strong of heart!!