Tracklist:- Want to Be
- Los Ecos de la Oscuridad
- Leave Your Fears
- The Promise Alive
- Embracing Hope
Time once again to expand my geographic boundaries in metal. And what better way to do so than with a good dose of the Lat-Am gothic? Ephemeral Temple are a bright young thing straight out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and their self-released EP, Leave Your Fears, is their take on the symphonic side of the genre. Formed in 2011, they’re a 4-piece outfit, fronted by the female vocals of Carina Alvarez, which could well be making waves in the near future.
In many ways, this record follows a well-trodden path. Heavy use of keys, providing both traditional piano sounds and a fair whack of synths, provides harmonic detail to deep, growling guitars. At the end of musical phrases, these taper off into detailed mini-riffs. Atop float powerful female vocals, now hammering out forceful lines, now sweeping melodies along in dreamy euphoria.
Sound familiar? Well, despite these Nightwish-esque features, Ephemeral Temple are probably better compared to another Latin-fronted goth band, Stream of Passion. Shunning the epic feel of the Nightwish strand of symphonic metal, they replicate the honest and simple style of Stream of Passion, cutting it into 4-minute musical canvases. Performed at a moderate tempo, with carefully-weighted rhythms, the majority of tracks run through various dark and mysterious themes. But there is space also for an upbeat, folksy number, in the form of Los Escos de la Oscuridad.
This isn’t to say that epic grandeur is absent. In tracks 1 and 3, in particular, vocals adopt a distinctly operatic tone, while the guitar harmonies and bass carry impressive depth throughout. But regardless of what epic elements may appear, this is a band far more comfortable when not laying it on thick. While attempts at operatic singing may highlight some vocal weaknesses, however, this approach should not be considered as evidence of musical limitations. In fact, Ephemeral Temple are most able to express themselves when keeping their work at its simple, carefully-judged best.
Alvarez displays a confident array of talent through her vocal work, hitting the mark from the very first song with strong chorus melodies intertwined amongst the soft, emotive lines of the verses. Whatever is lacking in vocal range is amply compensated by the powerful emotion which she brings to the lyrics. And with fine effect, as the lyrics certainly have a story to tell. With lines like “You just want to have to live/Remember all your dreams” (Want to Be) and “I declare that I will carry on” (Embracing Hope) comes a message of perseverance and hope in the future. This idea is developed further in The Promise Alive, an “over the hills” style love song which portrays a pact of loyalty between two lovers separated by great distance, who gaze at the night sky in shared ritual: “Looking to the stars above/Knowing that he will be watching them as well (every night)”. Fine, they’re not the most original themes, but it’s heartening to know that the genre can still throw up some positivity.
The music of the EP also benefits from this approach. By not overcomplicating their work, Ephemeral Temple avoid the suffocating textures that so often plagues symphonic metal. Absent are wild, irresponsible blast beats and endless chugga-chugga of rhymless harmony. Rhythms are clear and precise, carved out by heavy guitars and bass. The driving rhythms of Want to Be, Embracing Hope, and The Promise Alive are abandoned in Los Escos de la Oscurdad, which sets off with the pace and exuberance of a merry jig. Leave Your Fears, on the other hand, features deep, hanging beats, which swing majestically beneath the melodic lines.
All this creates the space for some of the key musical motifs to shine through. It’s clearest in Los Escos de la Oscuridad, where the folk melody bounces ahead of the vocals. But pleasing little additions pop up behind the vocals also, as short keyboard runs repeat the circle the verses of this track. This feature re-emerges in The Promise Alive, with buzzing synths strutting behind the main melodies as the verses begin to intensify. And while there’s plenty of piano work, Ephemeral Temple are not afraid of showing what can be done with some hard-headed use of these synth sounds, which rattle and hum in distinctive fashion throughout. As bands like Inner Fear have already showed this year, it’s possible to get a crunch and bite that more traditional orchestral sounds simply don’t provide; these guys are obviously of the same mind.
That said, there a couple of outstanding issues that might need a bit of attention before Ephemeral Temple take the plunge into a full-length album. Most obviously, there remains some ambiguity as to what the band’s musical aims actually are. While their unashamedly synthetic synths sound cracking, the same cannot be said for their orchestral tones. Plastic and shallow, the muffled strains of something which could – almost – be described as a keyboard orchestra slide disappointingly across that old folk-jig theme of track 2, while “strings” drone like white noise behind the verses of tracks 1 and 3. There certainly isn’t any reason to choose between raw synths and orchestras – why not combine the two? – but if this approach is to continue, it would be nice to see a bit of investment in some better equipment before their next release.
At the same time, there remain certain lyrical issues. It just seems to be the case that some non-English bands handle English lyrics fine, and others less so. And while this EP gets its message across without too much trouble, it often just feels a bit awkward. As the opening verse of The Promise Alive comes to an end, we’re treated to an endless stream of syllables, crammed so close that they almost merge together; come the next verse, the effect is shabbier still, as the vocals barely keep rhythm with the accompaniment. When sung in their native tongue, however, the lyrics suffer none of these problems, as the tight control in which the vocals of Los Escos de la Oscuridad show.
But these final points are minor criticisms. And that they relate to the more generic stylistic aspects of Ephemeral Temple’s music, such as Anglophone lyrics and plastic orchestras, is testament to how well the band have executed their more distinctive musical elements, from the strong vocals to superb synths. As an EP, Leave Your Fears was no doubt written with the intention of showcasing the best of what this young band has to offer. Based on this, that’s an awful lot. Watch this space…
Production: 4/5
Lyrics: 3/5
Album Cohesion: N/A
Music: 7/10
Percentage Score: 70/100
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