Kev Rowland
In their 15 year-long career, marked by 3 full lengths and numerous split releases, highly respected French trio Temple Of Baal have evolved from a traditional Norwegian style primitive Black/Thrash act to one that is generating uncompromising Black/Death Metal of wonderful brutality. ‘Verses Of Fire’ combines both their relentless violent face with darkest atmosphere and the result is something that is completely over the top, bringing together the best of both Death and Black Metal into an unholy union. Produced by Andrew Guillotin (Glorior Belli) in Hybreed Studios, he has concentrated on capturing an organic sound whose warmth is quite at odds with the frostiness of the music being generated. One of the highest praises I can bestow on this is that no-one playing this would ever imagine that these guys are French, as it seems as if they grew up in the same woods as Darkthrone.
This is not music of 2013, but rather they have taken what was coming out 20 years ago, added more brutality and much better production and have created something that straddles multiple musical camps, without compromising at all. Powerful and brutal, this has a great deal going for it.