I just did a discography run through. the first EP doesn't really do anything for me anymore but First Temple still slaps. A really awesome mid-point of Circa Survive with Mars Volta touches. I really really love that they went for it with Pink Lemonade and got super weird.... but... it doesn't really pay off in the way I hoped. Too much is kinda just weird to be weird without really coming together to form cohesive songs. "The Church of the Technochrist" does it the best I think, and "Happy Days" is still the standout for me. A bit more straightforward, but still ends with some killer riffs. Just such a huge sounding song.
This is probably blasphemy, but First Temple to me was a straightforward TMV, and I like it more than any TMV release to this day. Afterbirth especially always gave me hardcore TMV vibes.
From the day I heard First Temple I thought it was more TMV than TMV themselves... treading near blatant ripoff territory at times, even. I love both bands, but the TMV influence in that era is direct and undeniable.
This rips. They haven't missed a beat. And now I'm suddenly in the mood for a discography run + that of The Mars Volta.
It's probably not the discussion for this thread, but when TMV streamline things and still stay aggressive, they're some of my favorite songs ever. I'd put Goliath as probably a top 10 song of mine all time. I like progressive and odd structures as much as the next guy, but they drift way too far into the ambient and psychedelic for my tastes. That's why I liked First Temple so much, it felt like TMV without the stuff I didn't like from TMV.
Did you ever get around to their album from last year? It's very streamlined and the least proggy. Really really good
I should probably go back to it, but it didn't grab me initially, because it did lack most of that aggression that they had on songs like Goliath. I do remember vibing with a couple of the singles though.
Give it a shot at some point, not aggressive at all but super groovy and lots of really cool melodies
I do miss TMV's aggression. The new album is okay but it's far from my favorite sound by them. I get not wanting coqui frog ambience, but truth is I never really wanted to an accessible version of them--not why I gravitate to them. We need more sprawl nowadays, not less, but that's just my opinion.
The one thing that impresses me about rebooted TMV is their business acumen, dropping a bland, stripped-down record... and then a $41 LP of acoustic versions of already-stripped-down material six months later. /ducks On the bright side, the new CIM rips and I have high hopes for the record when we finally get it.
Years and years, I think I almost gave up on hoping for something new, but that's amazing, the single is great!
Cool for the band to sell out all copies (how many copies were even available?) but hell no to paying $200 plus shipping and taxes lmao