Artist: Temple
Country: Germany
Label: Ancient Spirit Terror
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2026
After a self-released and self-titled promo tape in 2025, Temple now returns with a proper demo tape, released under the banner of Ancient Spirit Terror. These Germans are relatively new to the scene, and there isn’t much information available about them. Although it’s clear that drummer Snuff previously played in bands like Khthoniik Cerviiks, I can’t imagine that the rest of the band, who all go by pseudonyms, would need to consider Temple as their entry into the scene. For that, the whole thing is just a bit too carefully crafted.
Ancient Spirit Terror draws parallels with the sound of early Mayhem and Watain, as well as Malign and Ofermod. Although Watain naturally builds on the visionary work of Ofermod in particular, the label is spot on with these comparisons. Not only musically, but judging by the title of this demo, Temple also seems to be on the same wavelength conceptually (and spiritually).
The only thing worth debating is how much of the old Mayhem you can recognize in here. Actually, I mainly hear a lot of the later Mayhem, especially in terms of the brooding atmosphere and the unorthodox complexity of the songs. But whatever you find in it, one thing is certain: Temple goes for a dark atmosphere and a technically proficient approach, with the dark riffs and rolling drums forming a solid foundation for the roaring vocals. The songwriting skills of this quintet are of a high enough caliber to hold your attention for the full half-hour runtime. What helps is a production that, on the one hand, is clean enough to reveal all the details, but with more than enough gritty edges to give the guitars a raw, unpolished character.
All things considered, this is the kind of Black Metal typically found on labels such as Terratur Possessions, Ván Records, or W.T.C. Productions. This is undeniably preferable to what the popular band Watain has produced over the past 20 years.
