We've seen various bands reaching back to 60s and 70s Hard-Rock-Proto-Metal material in the past years, with GHOST being (probably) the most celebrated.  Some attempts are really good, others strike out rather as comical, but most of the times they're just that. Attempts.

The question is inevitable. What does that have to do with THE ORDER OF THE SOLAR TEMPLE and their eponymous debut? The Vancouver based trio really adds an interesting and most welcome twist to this revival thing. Because I was speaking of attempts. These guys are like a time warp, hurling me through a mystical portal back to the glorious days when Occult Psychedelic Hard Rock spawned early Metal.

Seriously, when one says "Proto-Metal" most of us think of SABBATH, PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE, and even early IRON MAIDEN. Well, that's not entirely the case here. The journey starts with the Bluesy Psychedelic-infused "Fallout Woman", reminiscent of ARTHUR BROWN and THE DOORS. The guitar parts are more complex than what they used to be almost half a century ago, I'll give you that, but the essence of that era is here. Do note, it's not only Rock 'N' Roll though. From the doomy ritualistic "Aeon of Horus" and "The Order", the Punky NWOBHM-ish  "The Cult (Of Rock and Roll)", "Pale Horse", and "Dominance and Submission", up to the soulful Rock-early Metal fusions of "Jervas Dudley" and "Back Home", THE ORDER OF THE SOLAR TEMPLE never fail to satisfy.

Great vocal performances, with warm Bluesy tones, glorious choirs, edgy mid-tones, and daring falsettos, bad-ass heavy guitar riffs, warm licks, exploding solos, and era-defining tones, drum and bass patterns that provide the necessary soulful groove, interesting twists by not so commonly used instruments like a Mellotron, Theremin, and even jaw harp that enrich the atmosphere of the songs. A fantastic production that has all the necessary headroom to enjoy the music at full volume, a wickedly occult cover and lyrics to match, should I go on?

A great thumbs up to THE ORDER OF THE SOLAR TEMPLE for reminding us that Rock and Metal are great art forms, and for showcasing that there are bands out there that really do exactly what bands should do. Write and perform great music without pretensions. A final piece of advice. Play it loud. Or you'll be missing half the fun.