Temple -- Swedish stoner doomsters streaming miserable new song "Funeral Planet"

Temple is a Swedish group that plays 1970s Sabbath worship music. Their take on the style is a fuzzed out heaviness for that feeling of slowed-down stoner metal with trippy singing. All of the children of Sabbath and the grandchildren of Sabbath that can never get enough of riffs that sound like grandpa Iommi might have written them will be smiling that this week they have a new baby Iommi to listen to. The official information below also seems to say that the Swedes believe that the world is going to end soon, the human race will expire soon, the sun will collapse on itself probably within the next couple of years, and the universe will disappear a month after that; therefore, the end of time is upon the world, and what better way, says Temple, to go out with a bang than listening to Sabbath-y songs for the Sabbath-y fans and relaxing and chilling while, according to Temple, the Earth dies. Only Temple knows if the Earth will die next year or this year. Either way, it is going to be a fun party for everyone. This is your invitation. --Metal Bulletin Zine

Temple

Funeral Planet

Ozium Records

25 November 2020

01-Sea Of Grief 4:40

02-Magma 6:33

03-Whipped 4:57

04-Changes 4:06

05-Drain 5:17

06-Ashes 5:05

07-Funeral_Planet 7:11

This is the official propaganda from Ozium Records: “Listen to the planet and she’ll tell you where she stands.” According to Temple, a fresh doom metal band out of Sweden, it’s not in good stead with humanity. On their début record Funeral Planet, the four conjure a blend of melancholic yet fuzzy doom that sets the perfect ambience. This is not their first rodeo, either - those familiar with Silver Devil and Surfing In Hell will instantly know they are in good hands, but for the rest, it’s time to strap in for a riffing ride. The first wave to hit is the sheer weight of the tone on “Sea of Grief”. The guitar hits that sweet spot between melody and fuzz, with lines that crawl up the sides of the processed chorus. The whole record swims in a treacle-like consistency of doom, stoner metal, and hints of a slowed-down garage rock, each track its own variation that maintains the quality and consistency throughout. The claustrophobic nature of the riffs, heavy and oppressive like the planet itself, contrasts the relentless crash of the drums (or, like in “Changes”, a more complex affair) and the warbling solos, such as on the title track.

The message is as important as the music on Funeral Planet - the name alone a powerful social commentary, and the lyrics support this. The constant thread throughout is one of the abuse that Mother Nature has suffered, and the wrath that she will inflict (“She paints the ground with her lava brush”), written with the same pained emotion that frontman Otto Molin wails them. Each song carries a unique perspective, from the man-tames-wild-nature take on “Whipped” to the appeal to reason on “Ashes”. A stunning set of performances. If bands like Windhand and Electric Wizard regularly hit your turntable, then Temple is the next logical step. Funeral Planet is a bold opening statement, and a call to make the right changes before it’s too late.

Funeral Planet by Temple