Grond â The Temple Review
By Kenstrosity
Ten long years passed since Grond released Worship the Kraken, a fun and meaty slab of Bolt Thrower-meets-Autopsy-meets-Lovecraft madness. With such a protracted lull in recording activity, I was sure there was never going to be another Grond record, but lo and behold, The Temple peeked above the horizon just enough for me to catch it on the approach. I quiver with anticipation to see what cosmic horrors await me there.
Grond is the same stomping monstrosity that left the world all those years ago, muscular and be-tentacled as ever. Their Bolt Thrower riffs and nasty bass tone still take center stage, ensuring that any listenerâs face scrunches up in grotesque relief (âWeddigen,â âSubmergenceâ). A Temple of Void-like doom/death shroud adorns The Temple in shadowed moods and ominous atmosphere, creating a vastness of scale and stature Worship the Kraken didnât have (âU-29,â âDreadnoughtâ). Much like other modern old-school revival acts like Frozen Soul, simplicity is Grondâs best friend, choosing reliable parts and pieces of the death metal arsenal to ensure maximum impact in their songwriting. Thankfully, Grondâs high-fantasy horror theme, frightful guitar pyrotechnics in solos and flourishes (âDreadnoughtâ), and beefy production help set The Temple apart from contemporary examples of the style and make for a highly engaging 48 minutes.
At first, though, I wasnât sure if The Temple justified its ten-year incubation period. Itâs their slowest, their longest, and arguably their simplest record in terms of structure. I wondered if this meant it offered less substance or weaker engagement. I was wrong. Without sacrificing heft or extremity, Grond doubled down on accessibility and groove to make The Temple their most easily digestible outing thus far (âPour le Merite,â âRadiant Furyâ), but they made considerable effort using accessibility to their advantage. In place of compositional complexity, odd time signatures, or speed, wild lead guitar exhibitionism, gut-punching bass burbles, and clever drum fills abound. This trade, in turn, makes even the most straightforward cuts exciting and distinctive (âThe Templeâ). Furthermore, revisits uncover even more nifty details and entertaining embellishmentsâagain sourced primarily from the guitar workâthat bring depth and charm to The Temple for which initial impressions donât account.
The Temple boasts many traits and nuances that not only make it a joy to return to, but also help shrink its inflated runtime, yet some areas could still use a trim. At a bloated six-and-a-half minutes, the title track only barely justifies its length with the strength of its guitar work, but would be stronger still with a full minute or so hacked off the first half for brevity. In fact, most of The Templeâs nine tracks toy with that ambitious six-minute barrier. While a vast majority of them donât feel nearly that long, they all have at least one small grouping of measures that, if culled, wouldnât detract from the compositions to which they belong (âWeddigen,â âDark Solitude of the Sea,â âU-29â). Additionally, instrumental intro âRotter Himmelâ adds very little to the whole except to tumble right into the opener proper. At three minutes, it begs either to be nipped, tucked, and integrated into âWeddigen,â or to be cut altogether.
Aside from a spot of bloat, thereâs a lot to enjoy in The Temple. Itâs a rare kind of classically informed, doom-tinged, mid-paced death metal that grows with every spin. Grond achieved that grower status with their third LP, and it was worth the ten-year wait. It might not be a groundbreaking album, but competes well in its field and pairs very nicely with other Lovecraft-inspired death metal from the likes of Sulphur Aeon or Corpsessed. So if thatâs your bag, Grondâs your monster. Choose your vessel, and enter the gate The Temple!
Rating: Very Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: ~260 kbps VBR mp3
Label: XTreem Music
Websites: grond.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grondrus
Releases Worldwide: April 30th, 2026
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