Magister Templi
“Lucifer Leviathan Logos”
2013
Magister Templi hail from the hotbed of Metal that is Norway, so with that said then you would think that this is a stellar, face melting release right? Well kinda… in some respects as there seem to be some niggling things about Magister Templi I can’t get past and now with that I will explain…
As much as I love the Candlemass/Pentagram/Cathedral vibe they have going on in the guitar department it just seems like this has all been done before. Sure they got the Old School sound going on but the production lets it down a little bit, this could have sounded huge with a decent guy behind the desk and lent the album a much needed lift, it has that dated feel to it and I was longing for something a little more modern. It just sounds a little flat in my opinion, don’t get me wrong though, I love Doom as much as the next guy but there are bands out there that do this kind of thing a little better.
Next up are the vocals and i got to say if you are expecting a Messiah Marcolin/Robert lowe type singer then you’re going to be disappointed. It seems the vocals don’t really seem to fit in some respects, they just aren’t as powerful as one hoped and they are a little uninspiring for the most part. With bands like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus you knew that the vocals would lend a soaring dimension to the music and carry it to the next level and sadly with Magister Templi this is their downfall.
There is good music on here and its not all Doom and gloom (you see what i did there?) but if you can get past certain aspects like i mentioned above then you might find some enjoyment here, it just fell a little short of the mark for me, maybe next time will be a thunderous album….here’s hoping.
Tracklist:
1. Master of the Temple
2. Lucifer
3. The Innsmouth Look
4. Leviathan
5. Tiphareth
6. Logos
7. Vitriol
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magister-Templi/102129379880020
Members:
Abraxas d’Ruckus – Vocals
Baphomet – Guitars
Patriark – Guitars
Akoman – Bass
Grimmdun – Drums
Rating: 6 out of 10
~Death Metal Andy