Temple of Torturous

Adrift – Pure Review

By Huck N Roll on May 28, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Temple of Torturous Records, Black Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 73 comments

“You wouldn’t know from my reviews, but I listen to plenty of extreme metal. Pretty much anything that gets a 3.5 or higher from my fellow writers will get a spin in Chez Huck. I don’t often write about extreme metal because, to be honest, pretty much all of my cohorts are more well-versed in that subject matter. I would be doing you a disservice by faking my way through a review. But once in a while, something comes along that a: really grabs my attention, and b: arrives on my doorstep before anyone else can get their filthy hands on it. Last year’s excellent Agrimonia album is a great example. And this year, Adrift struck the same chords. So here I am, about to fake my way through a review about some excellent blackened post-metal.” Fake reviews!

Ultar – Pantheon MMXIX Review

By Doom_et_Al on April 8, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Shoegaze, Temple of Torturous Records, Shoegaze, 40 comments

“What’s in a name? How important is that moniker to a band’s identity? And what do we make of it when a band makes a radical change to its own name? These thoughts crossed my mind listening to the new album from Siberian metallers, Ultar. Previously, the members went by the very death-metal-sounding Deafknife. Then, for reasons unclear, they changed their name to Ultar, after the fictional town ‘Ulthar’ in. H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘Dreamcycle’ stories. The town of Ulthar in the books is famous for its most significant law: that ‘no man may kill a cat.'” How about beating a dead horse?

Eternal Deformity – No Way Out Review

By Eldritch Elitist on November 13, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Polish Metal, Reviews, Temple of Tortorous Records, Gothic Metal, 27 comments

“By the time you read this, Halloween 2016 is long gone. Oral surgeons have deposited their paychecks earned at the expense of children unfortunate enough to chomp down on razor blades, and your cranky olde neighbor is probably marching across the street right now to ask when the hell you’re getting that damned rotting jack o’ lantern off your porch. As I’m writing, however, the night of Halloween is still young, and I have an appropriately eerie soundtrack to accompany the festivities.” The pumpkin stays right where it’s at, bub.

Moloken – All is Left to See Review

By Kronos on November 6, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, Doom Metal, Releases, Reviews, Sludge, Temple of Tortorous Records, Post-Metal, Sludge, 12 comments

“Last year’s big surprise for me was Palingenesis, a beautiful neo-folk album that beat out some really good death metal for my year-end list’s #9 spot and led to me purchasing the very last vinyl copy Nebelung had on them (suck it). At first glance, progressive sludge/doom outfit Moloken might not seem anything like that troupe of cello-wielding Germans, but All is Left to See turns out to be full of surprises.” Here at AMG, we like musical surprises that don’t involve White Wizzard.

Valborg – Romantik Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 18, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Temple of Tortorous Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 12 comments

“Admittedly, Valborg’s fifth full-length Romantik was selected for review by yours truly based solely on one thing: Valborg apparently sounds like Triptykon. I know; that’s not exactly the best approach when selecting a promo. However, being the fan I am of Tom G. Warrior Inc. (look no farther than my pick for 2014’s Album of the Year), how could I go wrong?” Did someone get trick-tykoned?

Below the Sun – Envoy Review

By Madam X on February 13, 2015 in Post-metal, Reviews, Russian Metal, Temple of Tortorous Records, Experimental Metal, Post-Metal, 16 comments

“Bands enshrouded in mystery have almost become a gimmick, but it’s a gimmick that really works. What we don’t know makes us wonder and look on with morbid curiosity, and as such, I landed myself this obscure number, Envoy.” Noctus loves obscure stuff, so we gave him this gem from the wilds of Russia, where wolves hunt vodka and men drink rocks.

Nebelung – Palingenesis Review

By Natalie Zed on March 2, 2014 in 2014, Blog Posts, Folk Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Temple of Tortorous Records, Folk Metal, 12 comments

“I grew up in the woods. My parents’ house was located just outside of town, set back just a little from the highway, and there was a stretch of woodlot on one side of the house that stretched almost half a kilometre. I’d play there, read there, climb the trees and bury treasure in the soft, mossy dirt. Behind the house were some farmer’s fields — corn, soybeans — and behind there, more woods and lakes. I spent much of my time pleasantly lost, surrounded by bugs and dirt and the green and a blue arch of sky; I had a recurring dream (I think) of walking out my back door and into the woods at night, surrounded by dancing lights, and losing track of which were fireflies and which were stars. Listening to dark folk project Nebelung’s latest release, Palingenesis, is the closest I have felt to those dreams, and that time in my life, in years.” The beauty in this darkness took Natalie back to some happy childhood memories. How cool is that?