ARTIST: Temples On Mars
ALBUM NAME: Parallel
RELEASE DATE: 3 July 2020
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
CITY: London
GENRE: Eclectic Rock
Members:
James Donaldson – Guitar and Vocals
Daz Carikas – Bass
Gerald Gill – Guitar
Dean Gibb – Drums
London-based, sky-destined prog rockers, Temples on Mars are back with a follow-up to their debut album and are about to send everything you expected of them into a state of inertia. This EP is not the first in the course of reimagining. Originally known as ‘Agent’, the name change opened up many opportunities as well as a chance for reinvention. Their latest release, Parallels, turns their anthemic offering and everything you’ve already heard from them on it’s head. If you wanted a glimpse into the upside-down, here it is. Parallels is aptly named as it peeks into an adjacent universe – one where the apocalypse has already happened and to which TOM provides the sounds of eerie weightlessness as the soundtrack. While the styles of the two albums are different enough to feel as though we’re comparing the Earth to erm, Mars, the band has successfully managed to navigate this and maintain their essence throughout both these endeavours.
Comparisons aren’t easy, but in this case are necessary to fully enjoy this alternate envisioning of space and time. TOM had originally set out to deliver progressive rock to the masses in an easily-digestible format so as not to corner their fanbase. Their debut album was delivered in a neat, easy-to-digest parcel, tightly packed and beautifully refined. It was catchy with some really standout theatrical moments. However, the polishing removed some of the texture for me. I’m all about the raw moments and while I agree that their debut album was generically good, it had hidden all the feeling.
In stark contrast, Parallels is haunting, deep and edgy with a sense of foreboding. The exploration is alluring. Parallels seems to inform the Temples On Mars album and provides a deeper look into the psyche of the band. The lyrics and music feed off each other, for example, ‘Death in the afternoon’ (a personal favourite) is dark and broody from the start. It delivers a slow burn, echoing the sentiment, ‘You are the morning, and I’m death in the afternoon’. The arrangements create soundscapes in which one imagines walking past explosions and ruins of burning cities. The electric guitar intro of ‘Suicide by Tiger’ echoes and surrounds us, the strumming acoustic guitar and eerily soothing synth sounds make us envision a cold, lonely space.
Either way, it was a treat experiencing TOM in these two very different ways, and if nothing else, gives deeper insight into their inner workings. Parallels works both as a standalone album as well as a mirror to the original. Whichever your preferred version is (or whether you like them both – no pigeon-holing remember?), and whether this is an indication of future plans or merely a thought experiment, I really hope to see them incorporating these elements into any work that’s to come.
Rating: 8/10
Reviewed by: Roushan van Niekerk[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”4615″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row]