Temple Balls
Avalanche
Frontiers
Released 11/10/2023
10/10
What do you get when you bundle 1987 glam metal with class and dynamite? You get a big sound with big balls! That's right. I'm talking about the flash and attitude of Temple Balls. What does that mean? I say no freakin' idea, but i can't stop listening to this outfit! As my first review for the new colours of HMS, it's only fitting that I present to you something so clean, yet dirty, and right up the alley for anyone who digs Steele Panther and Kissin' Dynamite. Hailing from Finland, Temple Balls dole out old school 80's glam metal with a hard edge and deeper sound.
Fronted by Arde Teronen; he delivers a Power Metal vox amidst melodic solos spilled out by Jiri Paavonaho and Niko Vuorela; chunky bass lines pounded out by Jimi Välikangas, and Antti Hissa with his powerful, thunderous beats that would make Thor jealous! The opening tunes, "All Night Long", "Trap," "Lonely Stranger", and "Stand Up And Fight", are classic rockers that take me back to the days of balls to the wall party rock. "Prisoner In Time" starts out like it's gonna be a face-melter, but the beginning is just an introduction to the softer side of Arde's voice.
Be it a mellower song at points, it's far from being a ballad. Back to the party as "Strike Like a Cobra", "No Reason", and "Northern Lion", and "Dead Weight" kick in like Warrant on steroids! Have you have ever had a broken heart? Ever feel like there's no way to express how it feels? Give a listen to "Stone Cold Bones". I can't be your therapist, but this song is the next best thing.
The ending song is the title track. "Avalanche" is a great closer because it makes you wanna play it again before starting over at song one. Temple Balls has a big sound without being overly triumphant or over produced. As AC DC says, these balls swing to left and to the right, and Temple Balls will have you swingin' All Night Long!
All in all, it's a solid 10. Never boring, not repetitive, kept interested by the solos, rhythms and the voice. No downside here!
Check em out!
Tim Duran, HMS