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Forbidden Tomb's Templum Impiorum, released in November 2020, stands as a testament to the raw and untamed essence of black metal. This South Tangerang-based project defies its tropical origins, channeling the icy grimness of the genre's Scandinavian forebears with an authenticity that feels forged in frostbitten solitude. Following their debut full-length The Prospector and several shorter releases, Templum Impiorum marks a significant step forward for the band, blending chaos, melancholy, and an occult spirit into a blistering sonic experience.
At its core, Templum Impiorum is a masterclass in lo-fi abrasiveness, capturing the essence of 1990s second-wave black metal. The album exudes a raw energy that roars beneath its primal simplicity, with screeching, banshee-like vocals taking center stage. These tortured wails, which seem to seethe from some otherworldly realm, dominate the mix, hovering like a frost-laden blizzard over the scrabbly, distorted guitars and relentless percussion. Each track brims with an urgent, unpolished energy, and while the songs may initially seem similar, repeated listens reveal distinct riffs and a carefully cultivated atmosphere of deranged, wintry malevolence.
The guitar work is particularly noteworthy, delivering a combination of abrasive textures and unexpectedly melancholic melodies. There’s a haunting, hollow quality to the tone—almost industrial in its cavernous depth—that amplifies the music’s dark and oppressive mood. Paired with a driving blast-beat foundation, the instrumentation achieves an impressive cohesion despite the raw production. Even the album’s instrumental interludes, with their eerie tolling bells, add a layer of unsettling atmosphere, enhancing the overarching occult narrative.
While the song structures lean heavily on repetition and simplicity, this approach lends the album an almost trance-like quality, pulling the listener into its swirling, demented vortex. Forbidden Tomb's ability to balance this repetitive rawness with moments of melodic brilliance and urban blues-inspired twangs hints at a deeper, evolving artistry beneath the surface. The result is a hypnotic and unrelenting journey into black metal's most savage and unfiltered realms.
Templum Impiorum is a rough gem, but its rawness is a part of its charm. The icy, spectral vocals and unrefined production combine to create an album with a spirit both occult and unapologetically feral. Forbidden Tomb may still be honing their craft, but their potential shines brightly, and their grim, vampiric black metal promises even greater things to come. For fans of uncompromising lo-fi brutality with a touch of haunting melancholy, this record is a must-listen.
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