Death metallers Temple of Void kick out the jams on their new album, The Crawl, via Relapse Records. The caveman brawn of previous albums, namely Summoning the Slayer (2022), remains, but there’s a wider dynamic on the group’s fifth full-length album at play. Now a quartet—featuring guitarist Alex Awn, drummer Jason Pearce, vocalist/guitarist Mike Erdody, and bassist Justin Malek—the Michiganders aren’t shying away from their non-metal influences, seeking greater integration of grunge (think Soundgarden) or post-punk (think The Cure) with their brutish signature. Singles “The Crawl” and “Soulburn” demonstrate the proficiency of Temple of Void’s death-cloaked, spearheaded attack.

Temple of Void was formed in Detroit in 2013. They’ve released four acclaimed full-length albums—Of Terror and the Supernatural (2014), Lords of Death (2017), The World That Was (2020), and Summoning the Slayer (2022)—along with numerous splits with nasties Solothus, Revel in Flesh, Nucleus, Fetid Zombie, and Ectoplasma. The group’s burly, doomy death has been lauded by Decibel, who also collaborated on the Ravenous Eyes in the Distance (2020) flexi disc, Kerrang!, Invisible Oranges, and A&P-REACTS. From the high intensity of opener “Poison Icon” to the granite wall of “The Twin Stranger,” The Crawl isn’t just Temple of Void evolved, it’s a harbinger of death metal to come.

With The Crawl to be released on March 6, I had the pleasure to chat with Jason Pearce, Alex Awn & Justin Malek on the release and much more, Check out the complete coverage on the below YouTube video.