Mix Ozric Tentacles with Monster Magnet and Mastodon and what do you get? Probably something like Temple of the Smoke, a new band from Serbia and recently signed to R.A.I.G. Records. Can't really call this prog, or metal for that matter, as the band melds those two styles with stoner, doom, reggae, fusion, surf, and space rock for a sound that is quite unique.
Take "Unnatural Regression" for instance, which has a healthy reggae beat to go along with blipping synth lines, or the sizzling space rock excursions of "Naked Sun", which features lengthy guitar & synth solos that wouldn't be out of place on an Ozric Tentacles album. When the band brings the doom, which they do quite well I might add, it's pretty heavy, like on "Deadly Skies", as massive Black Sabbath styled riffs play off some trippy chord progressions and soundscapes. Prog fans will probably like the more atmospheric "Autumn World", the tasty keyboard driven "Into the storm", or the quirky "Tortoise Du Mars", but for these ears the band is most interesting when attempting their brand of instrumental sludge as on "South of Heaven", where crushing doom metal guitar riffs meet distorted blues rock solos and space rock synth jams.
As an instrumental act, you have to give Temple of the Smoke credit for trying music of this nature. It doesn't always work out perfectly, as sometimes they seem to lost focus a bit and stretch out a bit too far, but for the most part their style of sludge ridden space rock is pretty cool and enjoyable.
Track Listing
1. Illudium Q-36 Explosive Modulator 6:32
2. Unnatural Regression 4:39
3. Naked SUn 10:57
4. Deadly Skies 6:29
5. Autumn World 7:16
6. South Of Heaven 5:47
7. Into The Storm 6:50
8. Tortoise Du Mars 9:22
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