Magister Templi - Into Duat

Magister Templi Into Duat cover
Magister Templi
Into Duat
Cruz Del Sur Music
2015
6.5
Magister Templi is a Norweigian, band that started out a few years ago, with a doom outlook, and has released another full length in addition to an ep and a 7”, in the years since their inception. Taking their name from the highest grade of Aleister Crowley’s “Goldern Dawn” order, and naming their album after, the realm of the Ancient Egyptian god Osiris, you can easily understand their fascination with all things occult.
 
On this sophomore effort the band moves slightly further from doom into more traditional heavy metal territory but still maintains its heaviness and gloomy tone, albeit mixing up tempos a bit more than before. Heavy guitars, intense drumming and authoritarian, preaching vocals are the key ingredients.
Pagan Altar might spring to mind, but the vocals here are 100 times better. Mercyful Fate are also and obvious influence (without the operatic falsetti) and this isn’t a million miles away from what modern bands like Atlantean Codex and The Oath are doing... only under the Norwegians own prism...
 
Their sound and overall style, is going to make them more or less a love it or hate it, case, as it is quite monolithic and specific, but I’m more tempted to subcome to their old school demonic charms, rather than to dismiss them… take a sip from their cup and enter the realm of Duat… the kingdom of the dead...