As a listener, there are times when you take a leap of faith and try something outside the usual routine. Although I have been heavily involved in writing about death-doom recently (and after being tricked by Loneshore earlier this month), I decided to go into the promo grab bag and find something that piqued my interest. Cue the Australian atmospheric doom metal band Spirit Temple, with their newest release, The Fifth Scroll.

Whenever someone uses the “atmospheric” label outside black metal, I think of bands like Hadit — acts with a very specific aesthetic and sound that earn the label. There’s an occult undertone, either in the sense of evoking a highly specific setting or having a ritualistic approach to how their music should sound. The atmosphere becomes a character in the structure of the music’s composition, adding weight and nuance to the music instead of being used like a layer of film across music that is bearable at best and gimmicky at worst. In the case of Spirit Temple, the atmosphere in their blend of doom metal is a character we haven’t met yet, something that looms as the album plays out.

The focus on the instrumentation is also key to keeping the atmosphere as character, adding a sense of foreboding dread that creeps upon the unsuspecting listener. This music sounds built for a purpose — the score to a game’s setting, or the springboard for a future album’s themes. The Fifth Scroll uses its atmosphere to the fullest extent, succeeding in evoking a very specific concept that works for what they are trying to do. It helps that the album is mostly instrumental. Vocals appear sparingly across its five tracks, letting the listener sit in an atmospheric, uncomfortable space without distraction. If anything, the vocals add to the album’s uncomfortable nature, as you never know when they will seep in and add to your overall discomfort.

Although I’m impressed by the album’s atmospheric leanings and the band’s command of it, there are issues worth addressing. First, The Fifth Scroll is not made for multiple listens. After a while, the music loses its dread, the listener no longer fearing the atmosphere the band created. Instead, the album ends up becoming heavy and almost unbearable — the sound grates at you, and you can’t help but want to listen to something else. The second issue is it lacks variety, its droning nature being one of the few things that cues change. Again, this would work if the intent was to create background music for a game or story setting; if that isn’t the intent, then the album is just something you play once and possibly never pick up again. Perhaps my expectations for music I want to enjoy are too high, but if atmosphere is all you have to offer me, there’s got to be more than mood to keep me invested. In a sense, it mirrors my reaction to Faded Remembrance’s The Blessing of Downfall: the music’s nature undercut its story. Like that album, whatever story The Fifth Scroll is reaching for ends up lost.

Writing this review made one thing clear: I’ll return to The Fifth Scroll, unlike The Blessing of Downfall. However, I still want to give Spirit Temple kudos for composing and creating an album of this magnitude. I appreciate that it uses atmosphere as one of its tools rather than just a descriptor. While this is not for me, I think those who like their doom to ooze dread and drone may grow to appreciate this record. Thank you for the ride, Spirit Temple!

–Hera

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The Fifth Scroll is available now. For more information on Spirit Temple, visit their official Bandcamp.