Spawned in 2017, German death metal enforcers Temple of Dread admittedly revere death metal’s pioneers. On their Blood Craving Mantras debut, the band proudly referenced Benediction and pre-Human Chuck Schuldiner. But the band’s incendiary attack never steered into homage territory. Now they’re releasing their aptly-titled sophomore record World Sacrifice. Luckily for you, Decibel Magazine is exclusively streaming the album ahead of its July 24 release from Testimony Records.
From the first gnashings of the title track, Temple of Dread paint a portrait of global disarray and destruction. The bleak lyricism has a perfect vehicle with Jens Fingers’ raw rasp as he screams bloody gore. In tracks like “Enforcer of the Vile” and “Alive I Rot,” Bünnemeyer’s contagious thrashing keep the war machine rumbling. But Temple of Dread aren’t just a deathrash battering ram; malignant melodies unfold in “Symbiotic Delusion” and “Dedication” to cast even darker shadows. Then there’s the captivating finale named after their debut, “Blood Craving Mantra.” The song’s dizzying assault is a high-point for Temple of Dread, and ranks among my favorite old school death metal songs of 2020. Plus, it’s a testament to Temple of Dread and drummer/producer Jörg Uken how well their cover of Morgoth’s blasphemous “Sold Baptism” fits into World Sacrifice. With their balance of caustic death and anthemic thrash, Temple of Dread keep climbing piles of the dead towards extreme metal supremacy.
“Of course, the music still pays homage to fast old school Death Metal, but you can recognize a development,” shares guitarist/bassist Markus Bünnemeyer. “We’ve put a lot of small changes, experiments and improvements to the new songs. Jens and Jörg have made a big contribution to the songwriting. The album takes no prisoners and it will kick your ass from the first note to the last!”
Celebrate society’s collapse and stream Temple of Dread’s World Sacrifice below.
Pre-order Temple of Dread’s World Sacrifice from Testimony Records HERE
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