HEAVY TEMPLE are back from extensively touring across the United States and for the first time also Europe. They are also back from the rehearsal room where the making of new songs became far more of a group effort than on the debut album. And finally back from Animal Farm studio where John Forrestal gave the new album "Garden of Heathens" a rich and warm organic sound that is also crisp and crystalline. Where the debut full-length "Lupi Amoris" charged forward like a roaring mastodon, "Garden of Heathens" comes across more diverse and sophisticated without losing punch or heaviness. And while the powerful vocals of frontwoman High Priestess Nighthawk provide a strong gravitational pull, HEAVY TEMPLE always remain a riff-first kind of band. Even so, the heavy-touring Philadelphia, PA trio have expanded their range to encompass an even wider breadth of rock and metal road stops, from BARONESS to THE BEATLES and BLACK SABBATH to FU MANCHU – with many crossroads in between. Lyrically, Nighthawk wrote her most personal lines so far as the album revolves thematically around things that aren't real – from the American Dream to relationships. No matter how shiny something looks, below the surface lurk anxiety, betrayal, and doubt. HEAVY TEMPLE came into existence on the 2012 winter solstice during a night filled with the pure enjoyment of creating and playing heavy music. Once established, the band started playing live and soon got to tour alongside such notables as RUBY THE HATCHET, ROYAL THUNDER, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY and they also got to play at notable festivals such as The Maryland Doom Fest and Psycho Las Vegas among many others. Following the two EPs "Heavy Temple” (2014) and "Chassit" (2016) and a number of singles, HEAVY TEMPLE at last took a break from heavy touring to record their first full-length. "Lupi Amoris" (“Wolves of Love”) that was released in 2021 to strong applause from both critics and followers alike. This album opened new doors including more festival appearances, a US tour with THE OBSESSED and their first tour of Europe with friends and labelmates HOWLING GIANT. HEAVY TEMPLE are not just back, they are here to stay. "Garden of Heathens" gives strong testimony that the trio is pushing hard to broaden their spectrum and break through any preconceptions and obstacles in front of them. "Garden of Heathens" sheds new light and a wider perspective on heavy and desert rock, psychedelia, and doom metal. Check this out!
