United States of America (the), Relapse Records
— Booking by Daniel at daniel@killtownbookings.com
Temple of Void’s origin story is one filled with both lucky chances and determined choices. Alex Awn met Eric Blanchard while training Krav Maga. The second day after they met they starting lifting together, and the bonds of friendship were solidified while pumping iron and listening to death metal. Both dudes were playing guitar in other bands, but over time they knew they needed to join forces. At a point in time which has been lost to history, they started recruiting members for what would become Temple of Void. Alex immediately brought on his long-time collaborator and greatest of friends, Brent Satterly, to hold down the low end. Eric pulled a couple dudes out of his pocket that would forever change their lives – Jason Pearce and Mike Erdody. Eric literally barely knew either one, but as fate would have it, they both answered his call and tried out on drums and vocals, respectively. The five original templars were in place. And they entered the Void. In 2013, Temple of Void dropped their demo on the world. Originally self-released, it was then picked up in limited quantities by underground labels in Poland and the Ukraine. The demo featured an ancient drawing of the dawning of the creation of the universe. This symbolized the genesis of the band and the unknown future still to be written. The demo was well-received within the underground, and Temple of Void were soon picked up for their debut album, Of Terror and the Supernatural. In 2014, Rain Without End Records took a chance on the new band and released a limited pressing on CD, while Detroit label, Saw Her Ghost, handled the first press of the double-LP. With artwork by Bruce Pennington and a crushing and atmospheric production, OTATS turned a lot of heads with its original take on the Death-Doom genre. Classic American Death Metal riffing collided with European style melancholic Doom. People fucking loved it. Shows were played. Heads were banged. Celtic Frost was covered. And the band eventually penned their follow-up album, Lords of Death. Shadow Kingdom Records had re-released OTATS to a broader audience in the meantime, and they were home to the second record, as well. This time around, Temple of Void had sharpened their killing blade. The 2017 album was shorter and the pendulum had swung more towards Death. Having played OTATS live, the band had been dropping the slower, more Doom-oriented songs in favor of the energy of the Death-oriented tracks. And Lords of Death saw those learnings manifest. The production was thicker, the riffs crushed harder, and the underground loved it once more. Temple of Void was blown away with the reception of the record and set out to play more shows, more fests, make more friends, and bang more heads. Writing for the third album was slow-going so in 2019 the band decided to stop all shows and focus exclusively on writing a new record. And that they did. Fortunately in the time between records they were able to hit the studio to record some tracks for the 4 Doors to Death II CD and a split 7 with their friends in Revel in Flesh. Both appeared on Unspeakable Axe Records. These recordings were the first to feature Don Durr on guitar. Don has been friends with Alex and Brent for over two decades and was the one and only choice to fill the big shoes left by Eric’s departure. With Don in the band, Temple of Void moved along from strength to strength, without skipping a (blast)beat. Returning to the same studio again, Temple of Void recorded their third full-length, The World that Was, as well as a blistering track for Decibel Magazine’s Flexi Series. The aforementioned magazine listed TWTW as one of the year’s most hotly anticipated records, and once it dropped it was quick to take the band to the next level. Album-of-the-Year nominations were quick to be cast forth. The record sold out of its first press before it was even released and the album set the metal community ablaze. Temple of Void had conjured their most dynamic odyssey through the realms of Death and the depths of Doom, yet. Featuring incredibly musical collaborations and artwork that pushed their cosmic atmosphere into new galaxies, TWTW opened portals and opened minds. Since the release of TWTW, multiple labels from around the world have re-released OTATS on a variety of formats, and Temple of Void’s back-catalogue is constantly being discovered by new metalheads around the globe. And now, with their signing to Relapse Records, Temple of Void embark once again upon a voyage beyond death, beyond doom, and beyond the ultimate…