heavy-metal-darkness: Temple Of Void |The Crawl |Relapse Records

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Temple Of Void |The Crawl |Relapse Records

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Death/Doom Metal
Country United States

Temple Of Void hails from Michigan and consistently brings serious caveman brawn to the table. Originally known for their monolithic approach on previous releases like "Summoning The Slayer", the group is currently operating as a devastating quartet. The lineup features Alex Awn on guitar, Jason Pearce behind the kit, Mike Erdody handling vocals and guitar, and Justin Malek on bass. This four-piece unit returns to spread sonic destruction with their fifth full-length offering, "The Crawl", unleashed via Relapse Records.

"The Crawl" unleashes an absolute barrage of intense hostility. The musicians incorporate unexpected non-metal influences, violently crashing threads of grunge and post-punk into their brutal signature sound. Tracks such as "The Crawl" and "Soulburn" deliver a savage, spearheading assault on the eardrums. A massive wall of sound crashes through the speakers and pummels the listener without mercy. From the intense initial strike of "Poison Icon" to the crushing finality of "The Twin Stranger", the guitars roar with immense, dissonant distortion.

The lyrics on "The Crawl" dig straight into extreme psychology and deep-seated terror. Mike Erdody targets the horrors of human existence, screaming about the monstrous things people do to one another. The concepts operate as a dark allegory regarding choices and severe consequences. "The Twin Stranger" tells a terrifying story about a person stalked by a doppelganger. "Godless Cynic" pulls inspiration from sci-fi literature. "Poison Icon" exposes the inescapable human drive to deceive and control others. The gut-wrenching vocal delivery matches this agonizing subject matter perfectly.

Kurt Ballou tracked "The Crawl" during a freezing week in Massachusetts at GodCity Studio. Engineer Zach Weeks assisted the tracking process, ensuring a completely raw, human audio assault. The guitar and bass tones are extremely abrasive and punishing. Jason Pearce gets a totally authentic, in-the-room drum sound that just batters the skull. Brad Boatright handled the mastering duties, cementing the absolute audio destruction. The visual side kills too, featuring fantastic, haunting cover art by Travis Smith. Temple Of Void provides immense devastation, dropping an album that demands maximum volume.

Score: 8.0