Temple of Void – The Crawl (Review)

Michigan’s Death Metal force Temple of Void return with their new album The Crawl. Set to be released on March 6th via Relapse Records. Known for their crushing blend of Death Metal and doom, the band had some big shoes to fill after Summoning the Slayer turned out to be such a massive record. This time around, however, Temple of Void are not just trying to repeat themselves. They’re pushing their sound into new territory.

The Crawl features seven tracks packed with heavy riffs and punishing drums. It quickly becomes clear that the band has experimented quite a bit with their formula. Opener “Poison Icon” wastes no time, kicking things off with a wild solo that barely gives you room to breathe. Only before the harsh vocals come crashing in. Right from the start, you notice that Temple of Void feel more open-minded about their sound compared to their classic death-doom DNA. Clean guitars appear throughout the song, creating moments that almost lean into the Post-Rock or Post-Metal genre.

It’s easily the most diverse song writing the band has shown so far. “Godless Cynic” begins with a surprisingly jazzy intro before doing a complete 180 and turning into a full-blown death metal banger. Moments like this make it clear that Temple of Void are willing to take risks. In some ways, the band’s approach here reminds me of records like Entombed’s Wolverine Blues or Gorguts’ Obscura. Albums where established bands took a bold step forward and reshaped their sound. The Crawl carries a similar energy.

Longtime fans shouldn’t panic though! At its core this is still very much a Temple of Void record. The title track alone proves that the band can still recreate their signature death-doom atmosphere with ease. At the same time, songs like “A Dead Issue” and “Thy Mountain Eternal” lean much further into post-metal and progressive territory. At moments I even caught some strong Opeth vibes, which definitely wasn’t something I expected going into this album.

Because of that, The Crawl might take a few spins to fully sink in. It’s the kind of record that reveals more details the longer you sit with it. There are a lot of surprises hidden within these songs. Ath the same time it’s easily the biggest step forward Temple of Void have taken when it comes to songwriting, sound and influences.

For some of the OG fans, this album might feel a little controversial at first. But give it time. With each listen, more layers start to unfold, and the beauty of this record becomes clearer. Temple of Void clearly didn’t hold back when it came to exploring new creative ideas. The result is one of their most interesting and surprising releases so far.