Fans of the Australian heavy metal group Temtris can expect something quite different with seventh album “Khaos Divine“, set to be released through WormHoleDeath on March 17th 2023. This time around we are presented not only with a setting and style that is more modern and futuristic (as made clear with the spectacular album artwork), but also an emotional concept album that explores various themes such as freedom, loss, betrayal, and salvation, in the context of a dystopian civilisation.
“The Grand Design” starts us on our journey with the epic chords and guitar melodies of Anthony Fox and Nadi Norouzian laying down the core foundation of this instrumental intro track. It all sounds superbly executed, and immediately sets your expectations high for what is to come next. And as luck would have it, that would be the blindingly awesome title track “Khaos Divine” (a song that easily made our list of top metal releases in January). If you have any familiarity with Temtris at all, then you will already know that frontwoman Genevieve Rodda is a downright dynamo on vocals. But even then you may find yourself surprised with her performance here, as she simply sounds on another level.
In fact, that sentiment could be applied to the rest of the band members as well. Everything feels like it has been jacked up a degree. Not that you could ever accuse this band of lacking energy or intensity in the past, but this could well be the most energised we have ever heard them. Maybe there is something in the water down in Australia that we don’t know about. Perhaps that is what makes it possible for Rodda to hit those insane high notes – who knows?
The following track is the second single “Eternal Death Machine“, which you might detect has something of a Queensrÿche vibe once you reach the opening verse, albeit with a significantly heavier sound. The comparison is partly due to Genevieve Rodda’s impressive vibrato, but also the characteristic bass lines and progressive movements that occur during the song. Regardless of the track’s inspiration, the end result is still mesmerising – and maintains the high-quality benchmark set earlier by the album. The chorus is especially catchy and must be fun to sing, even if the lyrics themselves paint a rather bleak picture for the album’s protagonists: “All they want // All they need // Is their Eternal Death Machine”.
The progressive elements persist in the subsequent number “Dreams or Reality“, which begins with the suitably psychedelic twin guitar harmonies of Fox and Norouzian (as if representative of a dream sequence – or in this case a nightmare), before ripping into a more grounded heavy metal assault. Although the track is occasionally accentuated by high-pitch guitar harmonics as well, as though to add a sense of unease and confusion as the character in the story grapples with her perception. This sets the stage for the more even-keeled “The Lies Become the Truth“, which comes blasting out of the speakers with a confident swagger, as if to signify resolution and intent, while Rodda attempts to draw the battle lines for the coming struggle:
Where do we stand?
Temtris – The Lies Become the Truth
Where do we fall?
Where do we find the strength to crawl?
The album then shifts gears a little with “The Path“, a lengthier song which takes on a stripped-back approach, and has Rodda’s vocals juxtaposed against a cleaner guitar sound. Once again, the likeness of her singing to that of Geoff Tate (ex-Queensrÿche) springs to mind – if only for a brief moment. The tune is a welcome change of tempo, and shows off the band’s versatility. The seventh track “Revenge” gets us back to a more heavy metal footing though, with some meaty guitar riffs and Rodda emptying her lungs out again with plenty of long sustained high notes. The single-ready “Evolution of Hate” is up next, which we estimate due to its instantly memorable chorus, and the huge payoff of its anthemic dual guitar solo near the midway point (think the Amott brothers). Finally, “Ground Zero” brings a close to this opus, with a pensive keyboard arrangement that becomes gradually more ominous, until the band enter the fray once more for the final word. And at this point, it feels very much like a victory lap – and given the strength of the previous songs, who could argue with that? Temtris are rightfully deserving of this encore performance.
Verdict: Khaos Divine is the most enticing Temtris album to date. If the dark and mysterious narrative is not enough to seduce you into its dystopian universe, then the high-calibre musicianship definitely will. Especially the immense vocal prowess of lead singer Genevieve Rodda, who stands in stark contrast stylistically to many of her peers.
