TEMUJIN
"1000 Tears" (Renaissance
Records; 2008)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
Temujin is from Australia, and they are considered Goth Metal. Consisting of only two band
members (Kelly, who sings and plays keyboards, and Karl Lean, who handles guitar, bass and drum duties)
they put out some surprisingly haunting, but not eerie, music. Upon first listen,
you might hear a distant sounding Amy Lee from Evanescence at the mic but, since the vocals are not a driving force,
you’re forced to lean in and listen more closely.
I had to listen to this disc a couple of times to get the feel for what Temujin was trying to accomplish. Their name comes from Genghis Khan’s birth name.
Guitarist Karl Lean was with the Australian metal band Nothing Sacred for ten years. They were the first
underground thrash band in the land down under. Karl has not abandoned his metal ways and keeps with a straight forward approach by sawing on the guitar and ripping
out solos as though an entire band is present.
Kelly's quiet vocals and Karl's brooding guitar make an interesting mix. Nobody overpowers the other and,
even if one did stand forefront, I'm not sure that this experiment still wouldn’t work. Karl’s playing is great and it’s nice to hear guitar solos again, especially in today’s music. Kelly’s vocals have the same
temperature all throughout the disc.
No certain tracks stand out and it takes a few listens to absorb this different kind of musical merge. If you like an emotional vocal journey then Kelly will take you there. If you love metal guitar that moves along without causing too much damage then Karl has some room in the back of his bus. Overall,
it’s an interesting collaboration.
For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/temujin1.
"1000 Tears" (Renaissance
Records; 2008)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Female metal singers have been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I find the entire process sexy. So, as I was reviewing Temujin's "1000 Tears," I thought I had hit the jackpot. The music is heavy chord based rock'n'roll and it is very well done.
Now, as for the vocals: Well, I found them done well but they are way too sweet to make a difference. There was not energy vocally to hold my interest. It was a good effort, but the overall effect was substandard.
For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/temujin1.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised:
12 Aug 2024 14:33:58 -0400
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