Tempul
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Tempul

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Tempul - Tempul"

In the past few years the website of the indie music store CDBaby has become a favoured hunting place of mine to discover up-and-coming musical talent from across the globe. An hour of genre-searching under ‘Prog Rock’ or ‘Prog Metal’ is guaranteed to uncover at least one new name. Admittedly there are a lot more names I learn to steer well clear of – but that’s all part of the fun!

My latest browsing session uncovered this little gem. Tempul hails from Seattle, Washington. Its foundation was the pairing of vocalist/guitarist Matt Jungmann and guitarist Perry Jones from their high school days. The group truly began when they were joined by drummer J.D. Fischer in college. The quartet was completed in the autumn of 2009 when bassist Mike Stevi was recruited.

Quoting Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Tool as influences, the six songs on offer here are packed with emotion, with constant dynamic shifts, some inventive song structures, and an array of grooves from across the rock spectrum. Tempul is typical of the new wave of younger bands that are taking their progressive influences and mixing it with the guitars, energies and melodies of more indie rock bands to create something fresh, thoughtful and invigorating.

This is an album that rewards a few listens as it is complex and does meander. At various times I’ve noted sections that remind me of Fen, Absolace, Dianoya, Disperse, Cloverseeds, Gazpacho, Souljourners, Tides Of Man and Abigail's Ghost. I am sure other listeners could add an equal number of names from their own collections.

Matt Jungman has a voice packed with emotion and a good range. It all comes together nicely on my favourite songs Chaos and Monolith. With a little more polish, Into The Fire would make a great single. Grither is a truly expansive musical magnetic for differing ideas and grooves. On Elevated Shepherd the songwriting is rather too simplistic for my tastes and I'm not keen on the noisy ending to Silent Songs.

The production is indie and would benefit from a bit of warmth. Some of the vocals and guitars can be on the raw side. The drummer is great. The drum sound isn’t. But then that’s exactly what you are paying for - a debut offering, from an unsigned band. On that level this must rank as one of the most promising such releases I’ve had the pleasure of discovering.

Now that I’ve saved you the trouble of having to plough through some of the less listenable new bands, pop on over to CDBaby or either of the band’s web presences where you can sample most of the tracks for yourself. A young band to keep an eye on.

Conclusion: 7.5 out of 10

ANDY READ - Dutch Progressive Rock


Discography

Visit: www.tempul.com or www.facebook.com/tempul to listen to our songs.

Photos

Bio

Vocalist/guitarist Matt Jungmann and guitarist Perry Jones have been playing music together since high school. When Matt and Perry met and began playing with drummer J.D. Fischer in college, the group truly began to develop their sound. In the fall of 2009, they recruited bassist Mike Stevi to complete the band. With Mike's influence, Tempul began to take form. The foursome have taken advantage of their individual expertise in particular disciplines -- ranging from visual and performing arts to both theoretical and applied sciences -- in an effort to create complex emotional songs, featuring dynamic rhythmic shifts, unique song structures, and an array of textures that span a wide spectrum.

They are currently working on their second self produced album.