Release Date: November 29th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Chronic Temple - Track Listing:
1.Chronic Temple 01:55
2.Bongstaff 06:19
3.Doom Dragon 04:39
4.Montevallo 03:02
5.Sea People 03:19
6.Country Bumpkin 00:40
7.Ache 03:13
8.Loss & Reconciliation 03:46
9.Stoner's Theme 06:30
10.Climb The Lonely Mountain 00:57
11.Obsidian Sun 05:38
12.Farewell... My Apprentice 00:43
Review
Chronic Temple is the debut album from Doom/Sludge Metallers Hiraeth who add a spicy mix of Southern Metal and Groove oriented sounds to the album. The record starts off quietly and cautiously within the title track being a slowly played instrumental Post-Doom number that manifests into a heavier sound within the stunning second track of Bongstaff.
There’s a vicious style of Death Metal vocals appearing that sees Hiraeth transforming into a more extreme style of Sludge Metal that’s powered with an Occult sense of Southern Metal. The gloomy atmospherics remain part of the LOW & SLOW environment with the down tuned guitars and sludgy instrumental beats that can be quite “TINNY” and “HOLLOW” at times. However, this gives Chronic Temple quite an abrasive and violent nature which feels like a cross between EYEHATEGOD and CHURCH OF MISERY at times.
Hiraeth are perhaps best described to be part of the Death/Doom Metal scene overall especially on the longer tracks on the album. There’s a few tracks that last under a minute where the band primarily deal in low-key instrumental gloomy passages. Hiraeth aren’t afraid to add elements of slowly played Grind channels into their music which offers a nihilistic vision that the casual listener may not be expecting especially on tracks such as: Doom Dragon, Sea People, Loss & Reconciliation, Stoner’s Theme and Obsidian Sun.
The vocals can be quite hard to understand at times and even I struggled with the lyrics but I’ve never been the best at understanding this style of vocal delivery. However, Hiraeth played to their absolute creative strengths on this record with a fine amount of heavy destructive grooves being played across a more extreme Death/Doom Metal platform with some hidden Sludgy surroundings.
There’s a bleakly wicked sense of pitch black humour which is perhaps inspired by the likes of WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA in places especially on the more WEEDIAN sounding parts of the album. The record isn’t the best produced but keeps in line with the murky, seedy and violent visions that Hiraeth have expertly laid down for the whole album.
Chronic Temple is a catchy and deeply fascinating record which should keep you superbly entertained from start to finish.
Words by Steve Howe
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