Release Date: March 01st 2024. Record Label: Listenable Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Paradigm Call - Tracklisting
1.Drakon 02:08
2.Revel In Dissidence 08:55
3.Paradigm Call 07:42
4.Among The Ruins 05:16
5.Black Smoke 07:31
6.Ascending The Pale 07:01
7.Empty Chalice 05:03
8.Kaivalya 05:04
Members
Tommie Eriksson (Guitars/Vocals)
Pelle Åhman (Drums)
Gottfrid Åhman (Bass)
Review
Paradigm Call is the new album from Blackened Doom/Stoner Metallers Saturnalia Temple who give the classic Californian Stoner Metal landscape another pitch-bleak and aggressive makeover with their most impressive record to date. You may not consider Saturnalia Temple as your standard Stoner Metal band and there's a good reason for that. As the band delves into the fine arts of Black Metal and Drone Metal for a more devilish based sound that has a fearless attitude.
The best description I’ve heard given to Saturnalia Temple was “Imagine if KYUSS added Black Metal to their classic Stoner Metal sound”. That description has always stayed with me ever since I heard their classic debut album Aion Of Drakon. Their music has evolved tremendously since that time taking moments of Distorted Fuzz, Atmospheric Doom and Sludge Metal with the powerful harsh growls that power the creative narrative especially on Paradigm Call.
The eight songs that make up Paradigm Call sees Saturnalia Temple evoke memories of Electric Wizard at their most fearless when the more Blackened Doom Metal elements took the band away from the standard Doom/Stoner Metal sound. You can feel similar vibes from this album with moments of heavy droned out Psychedelic movements appearing within the first half of the album especially on tracks such as Revel In Dissidence, Paradigm Call and Among The Ruins.
However, like all great Heavy Metal bands, Saturnalia Temple always manages to conjure up melodic instrumental sounds amongst the bleak carnage within the whole narrative of the album. There’s even moments of Desert Rock, Hard Rock and Fuzz Rock which comes mostly through the non-stop essence of classic guitar shredding which brings a touch of 1980’s Hard Rock finesse to the album.
The album is wonderfully trippy and cosmic which becomes more dominant on the second half of the record with Saturnalia Temple merging down-tuned heaviness and amplifier distortion with long drawn out Psychedelic/Spaced Out passages with the constant gloomy backdrop of further Doomgaze and mind-expanding WEEDIAN grooves leaving you wanting to hear more.
Other outstanding tracks include: Black Smoke, Ascending The Pale and the sublime closing instrumental track Kaivalya with a gut-wrenching bass-line working alongside a thrilling modern day Doom/Stoner Metal flow that slowly ends dominantly and with soulful purpose.
The production values are off the scale with Saturnalia Temple bringing a classic 1990’s attitude to a darker and slightly decaying modern day atmosphere which allows Paradigm Call to be the bands most outstanding release to date.
Words by Steve Howe
Paradigm Call is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Listenable Records.
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