Out of all the Dutch black metal bands associated with the Haeresis Noviomagi collective, Solar Temple was one of the most distinctive in its atmosphere and approach. The duo’s 2018 debut Fertile Descent was comprised of two lengthy tracks that mixed elements of atmospheric black metal with post rock and droning instrumentation, creating a hazy and hypnotic take on the genre that had a noticeably brighter sheen than many of their peers. For their sophomore effort The Great Star Above Provides, rather than going the traditional album route Solar Temple instead composed their compositions through improvisations and rehearsals and performed them live at the 2021 Roadburn Redux festival. This performance was recorded and has now been given an official audio release via Eisenwald, and it showcases the duo pushing away from metal and towards hypnotic psychedelic rock that retains the same brightness. It may be slightly disappointing for those who were still hoping for just a bit of an aggressive edge to be retained, but those who enjoy getting lost in the likes of psych or post rock and don’t mind droning, slow burning material will find The Great Star Above Providesto be a worthy endeavor.
I can appreciate M. Koops and O. striving to do something different with Solar Temple, especially when they’re both involved in so many other groups within the Dutch black metal scene. But many, myself included, may not have predicted just how far they would push away from that sound, as The Great Star Above Provides has left behind any semblance of black metal in favor of droning, repetitive melodies and pounding drums that have much more of a psychedelic meets post rock sound. For just two people the sound is still huge, and the way the riffs repeat and build creates an instant hypnotic effect that wash over you with an otherworldly warmth. Rather than being split into traditional songs, the recording separates things in four parts that seamlessly flow into each other, and this makes the material best taken in at its whole hour length rather than in bits and pieces. It’s a lot to take in, especially as the droning build-ups and song structures make it so that the finer nuances don’t immediately stand out on the first time through. But there’s still enough substance to the warmer melodies and soaring feeling that the band offers at their loudest moments that will draw listeners back, providing similar qualities to classic psychedelic, space, and post rock. “I” and “II” do admittedly feature guitar melodies that sound fairly close with just a few tonal differences, but “III” shakes things up a bit more during its section with some softer guitar explorations that inject some hints of darker folk and other genre influences. The only real flaw for me is the extended ending of “IV”, which features an extended drum solo and harsher, feedback driven loops that close things out. It’s not a bad component of The Great Star Above Provides but it does come off as a little at odds with the tone of the rest of the material.
One area of Fertile Descent that stood out was the vocals, as rather than going for the usual harsh shrieks or growls Solar Temple instead went for ethereal singing that further enhanced their atmosphere. That has been expanded upon throughout The Great Star Above Provides, and maybe it’s due to the fact that this album was recorded live but the singing seems to be a bit clearer this time around. You get some of the gruffer singing/talking a few minutes into “I”, but a little ways in this transitions over to some higher ranges that soar into the sky alongside the guitar work. As is often the case with psychedelic and post rock of this type, there are plenty of extended instrumental sections and the vocals often flow in and out of the material in a fluid manner. This type of approach works well for the duo, as the singing may not always be a focal point but it enhances the flow and entrancing nature of the songwriting.
The Great Star Above Provides is one of those albums that is a bit difficult to review, as it’s likely to divide listeners based on their personal tastes. If you enjoyed Solar Temple’s prior material due to its more entrancing and droning take on atmospheric black metal, this might not grip you in the same way, but if you’re a fan of the types of psychedelic rock and drone that have a more hypnotic, almost ritualistic feel, chances are better that this material will click. Personally, I did find the final track a little too stretched out and some of the extended feedback a bit out of place, but the composition as a whole sucks you in with warmer, entrancing textures that feel like they’re transporting you to the stars and beyond. I would like to hear a merging of these more fluid, improvised psychedelic rock ideas with just a bit of Fertile Descent’s harsher edges in the future though, as it seems like that would position Solar Temple in a truly unique spot. Wherever they go though, the unpredictability is appreciated, and they’ll continue to be a duo to keep an eye on. The Great Star Above Provides is available from Eisenwald.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg