Yes, the final barriers have been broken, and here we have a Satanic doo wop record which sounds as if it was recorded some time in the Sixties. “It’s really just a reflection of everything we love,” explains vocalist Alexandra James. “We’ve always loved rock ‘n’ roll, especially from the golden era of American music, but we’re also Satanists and study the Occult. We both practice magick. It was just a crazy idea– ‘Why can’t you love Roy Orbison and hail Satan at the same time?’ Satanism has been relegated to the metal scene for so long, but we are Satanists and listen to The Platters and Buddy Holly, you know? We love metal too, but this is a reflection of who we are as people. This record was something we wanted to create for ourselves… we were happy to see that it resonated with other people out there, too.”

This really doesn’t sound like an album from 2019, everything about it cries nothing more recent than the mid Sixties, and mostly later Fifties. From the brass arrangements to the sounds coming from the guitar, and the dated organ through to the vocals this is a long-lost classic, surely? Well, apart from the lyrics which are all adoring Satan in a way which is quite different to what one hears from black metal bands and the like. When Deicide are at full bore, the lyrics make sense (if they can be understood), but here we have someone singing doo wop style rock ‘n’ roll yet talking about saving themselves for Lucifer who is a “much better kisser than Jesus”. I do find it amusing, and that they sold out of their initial self-pressing of 666 (of course) copies and have now been picked up by Rise Above for a wider release means there is an audience out there for this. Me? I just don’t listen to doo wop and a quirky idea of changing the lyrical stance isn’t going to make me like it any more (or less), but my hats off to them for the idea.

Rating: 6/10

Links:
https://www.twintemple.com/
https://riseaboverecords.com/