Well established as a part of the Australian heavy metal scene since the early 2000’s, it’s exciting to listen to the discography of Temtris over the decades as they now release their sixth album for Ritual Warfare. Very thrilled over the traditional base and power, thrash, and extreme nuances that have made 2016’s Enter the Asylum and the 2018 follow-up Rapture steady staples in this scribe’s playlist rotation, even with the lineup shifts (welcome drummer Nicholas Bolin and second guitarist Nadi Noroozian to the fold) its full steam ahead for keeping the quintet sharp and focused on potent heavy metal with the right modern touch and bite.
Whether it’s throwing around thunderous double kick parts, slamming mid-tempo steady transitions and weaving in twin guitar harmonies plus soaring, upper register melodies for “One for All” or leveling listeners with a bit of a progressive thrash-like charge during “Erased”, these musicians excel at mixing up the feel and atmosphere track to track which aids the cause for permanent brain/body retention. Circular guitar passages around some fluid fills sets up highlight track “Seven Sins of Man” – featuring some heavier point/counterpoint riffs, a softer mid-section with acoustic guitars and Genevieve Rodda utilizing her mesmerizing Rob Halford/Leather Leone-esque upper register note holding abilities plus some spider web Maiden-like twin harmonies in the instrumental portions from Nadi and Anthony Fox. Bassist Nick Wilks often serves as another asset to the group – not sticking to just the root note duties but often serving up his own power/progressive skills. Temtris appreciate the versatility within heavy metal and its offshoots – elements from Nevermore to Annihilator, Judas Priest to Iron Maiden, and Primal Fear to Metal Church come to mind depending on the feel and needs of the individual track – pushed to a higher degree of impressiveness because of the stellar range and depth of emotion conveyed from Genevieve as a vocalist.
Ritual Warfare is one of those modern, traditional heavy metal records that elicits audience chanting and fist waving movements to charge up even the battle weary who struggle to arise from slumber and face the day. Temtris continues to ascend the ranks of the metal scene because of their knowledge and execution record to record – and should be garnering bigger recognition worldwide.