Frontiers [Release date 16.03.21]
Despite the diabolically bad band name, Temple Balls’ popularity and reputation continue to grow. Produced by Jonah (HEAT) Tee, Pyromide is their third album.
Their high energy melodic rock songs have a bright, brash ebullience. But there’s a problem: The music is frequently so derivative that a clear band identity never swims into focus. Many of the songs appear to be constructed from spare parts and endcuts left behind on the studio floor by Crazy Lixx or Reckless Love, or maybe even Crashdiet.
‘Long Ways’, ‘What Is Dead Never Dies’ and ‘TOTC’ are the worst culprits, all holed below the waterline by tired, cliched lyrics and unfocused, overly familiar hooks. ‘If Only I Could’, a ballad sketched around a lyrical piano, shows early promise, but is spoiled by the singer’s overpowering vocal histrionics. Shame, for a while it sounded like it would develop into an enjoyable Stage Dolls tribute.
In other news, Tee does his best to tune in and turn up the sonic engagement on a handful of tracks, with some clear successes. ‘Fallen Youth’ and ‘Bad Bad Bad’ are distinctly AOR in nature, with a harder punch and an edgy pop undertone, and credit to the band and JT, together they add vigour and verve to a fast tiring melodic rock agenda.
Well into the second half of the album, the heavy metallised ‘Unholy Night’ brightens up the album further with some stunning, stuttering axework and a stomping, stadium filling hook. ‘Heart Of A Warrior’ has the same rock hardened attitude, ambitiously plunging into Europe and Treat territory. More like this would have been welcome.
Pulling the disparate strands of their influences into a cohesive, coherent whole, while making it sound fresh and new, is always a difficult trick for any rising rock band to do consistently. Next time perhaps. **3/4
Review by Brian McGowan
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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