Whilst doom in it’s purest state – and Greek doomsters The Temple approach their music in a very traditional style – is the proverbial sledgehammer to a nut, it can be one of the most beautiful sounds on earth when an artist is brave enough to tweak the blueprint and add some melody to their mayhem. The Temple are just such a band, and consequently, Of Solitude Triumphant is a very beautiful thing to behold indeed.

Starting off with some beguiling choral work (possibly a reworking of George Dalaras‘ Me To Lichno Tou Astro, but I’m not sure exactly) might not be the trad way to kick off a doom record, but the song certainly hits the spot and, strangely enough, sets a tone of appropriate reverence for an album that turns out to be doom worship of the highest order. Bassist Father Alex also sings, and his mournful vocal, clear and strong throughout, almost acts as that of a priest leading his flock through their adorations; his approach is particularly effective (and supremely emotive) on the superb epic Premonitions Of The Final Hour, but throughout the album the serenity inherent in his dolorous style is a real point of difference.

However the songs here really take off when guitarists Felipe and Stefanos kick into gear. Some of the harmony lead work here is mesmerising, with standout cut Profound Loss in particular seeing some utterly spellbinding playing.

Aided by a lean, sparse production – there are no bells or whistles here to distract the listener – the unadorned power of the music is left to punch it’s way out of the speakers unaided – but punch it does. Simple yet never simplistic, bombastic without being overblown, Of Solitude Triumphant stands as a testament to everything that is great about ‘proper’ doom music in 2022. Give it a listen and bask in all it’s ponderous magnificence…

Of Solitude Triumphant is out now.