{"id":252723,"date":"2026-01-19T16:35:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/252723\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T16:35:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:35:07","slug":"review-the-ruins-of-beverast-tempelschlaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/252723\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Ruins of Beverast – Tempelschlaf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Dave<\/a> on January 19, 2026January 19, 2026<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by: Jordan Barlow<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Black metal, gothic metal, doom metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Blut Aus Nord<\/a>, Enslaved, Borknagar
Country: Germany
Release date: 9 January 2026<\/p>\n

Dreams, while both a critical facet of animal biology and an absolute banger of a Fleetwood Mac song, are also undeniably really fucking weird. It only takes one recount of your friend\u2019s dream where they walk into their house but the foyer stretches endlessly and the walls are plastered on both sides with a picture of them from middle school with a haircut that they got made fun of while their English teacher from second grade lives in a spare room they didn\u2019t even know they had to exemplify the utterly surreal nature of our subconscious. These strange, ephemeral forays into our inner psyche aren\u2019t always so innocuous, however\u2014they can often elicit a frighteningly real fear response. Such is the world of The Ruins of Beverast\u2019s Tempelschlaf (Temple-sleep), a release mired in the hypnagogic disquietude of our deepest nightmares. Will we safely escape from multi-instrumentalist Alexander von Meilenwald\u2019s REM-induced prison, or will we be doomed to forever run away from a group of pirates while trying not to be late to a job in Budapest doing carpentry work for your uncle that you haven\u2019t seen since you were seven?<\/p>\n

Tempelschlaf is a surreal mix of black metal, doom metal, and gothic metal, leaning into evil monstrosity through aggressive drumming (\u201cAlpha Fluids\u201d), dire grandeur in soaring riffage (\u201cCathedral of Bleeding Statues\u201d), and gloomy romanticism from clean, heavily flanged guitars (\u201cTempelschlaf\u201d). Meilenwald\u2019s harsh vocals howl with fervor in his mid-range and rumble from the depths of the earth in his lower register; his pronounced clean vocal performance is heavily reverbed, weary with millennia of agony. Like much of The Ruins of Beverast\u2019s back-catalog, a primal, ritualistic vibe encompasses Tempelschlaf through the use of clattering percussion (\u201cTempelschlaf\u201d, \u201cBabel, You Scarlet Queen!\u201d) and distant chanting (\u201cDay of the Poacher\u201d, \u201cLast Theater of the Sea\u201d).<\/p>\n

The cyclic nature of Tempelschlaf\u2019s pieces lends itself to a kind of psychedelic paranoia\u2014the temple in which the record resides snakes unto itself, leading the listener on twisted journeys back to exactly where they started. Labyrinthine hallways of murals depicting unknowable rituals echo disquieting chants on \u201cTempelschlaf\u201d. Even the guitars sound confused during the track\u2019s instrumental break as an arpeggio tries to ascend but then stumbles into tremolos. The aggressive blast beats and reverberating black metal riffs of \u201cDay of the Poacher\u201d instill a sense of fearful urgency, like being chased by a creature through narrow passages. However, the track\u2019s velocity is halted at the hands of hypnotic drumming and creepy chopped vocals, backed by repeated chants of \u2018we carry death\u2019 from disembodied forms.<\/p>\n

Compositions open up into soaring doom metal moments on \u201cCathedral of Bleeding Statues\u201d and \u201cBabel, You Scarlet Queen!\u201d. Featuring slow, ominous riffage that teeters around extended phrasing, these tracks conjure imagery of realms incomprehensible in their terror. \u201cCathedral\u201d cleverly utilizes harmony to give its melodies a cinematic boost, layering guitars in its instrumental middle section and imposing harsh vocals on top of plaintive cleans in its climax. Tempelschlaf doesn\u2019t demand its hazy stupor through complexity; rather, every element works in tandem to coax out a disorienting affect, whether it be the spectral voices that whisper into ears which can\u2019t understand them or the reverberating percussion that announces an eldritch ceremony.<\/p>\n

While Tempelschlaf\u2019s menacing, contorted pieces may bewilder the unwitting temple-goer, elements of the record engender a confusion that seems unintended. Throughout songs like \u201cDay of the Poacher\u201d, \u201cAlpha Fluids\u201d, and \u201cThe Last Theatre of the Sea\u201d, a martial undertone is established that feels at odds with the songwriting. The warlike lyricism of \u201cAlpha Fluids\u201d, for example, stands in opposition to the contemplative gothic sensibility breathed in by the clean guitar melodies. While \u201cDay of the Poacher\u201d does well to embody the feeling of a chase and \u201cThe Last Theatre of the Sea\u201d has moments that border on apocalyptic, the claustrophobic and byzantine architecture of Tempelschlaf exists miles away from the rotting and wounded landscapes that Meilenwald paints with lyrics. Additionally, the record is a touch front-loaded: the first four tracks are through-and-through bangers, but closing pieces \u201cThe Last Theatre of the Sea\u201d and \u201cThe Carrion Cocoon\u201d belabor the atmosphere to where the experience becomes less \u2018nightmarish ritualistic disorientation\u2019 and more \u2018Squidward falling through a spaghetti portal<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Ruins of Beverast is a mainstay of unique, forward-thinking black metal, and Tempelschlaf does little to change that. At its peaks, the record\u2019s psychedelic dream logic is delightfully dreadful, brilliantly incorporating tinges of wistful romanticism into its unsettling songwriting. The extensive use of clean guitar tones and clean vocals on top of the aggressive black metal framework add a subtle otherworldly touch to its compositions. Were the ending compositions tightened up a bit and were more congruence present between the musical and lyrical ideas, then Tempelschlaf would be a nightmare vacation destination you\u2019ll never want to leave. Not that you\u2019d have the chance to; it is an eternally expanding hell temple, after all.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Tempelschlaf, Cathedral of Bleeding Statues, Alpha Fluids, Babel, You Scarlet Queen!
You may also like: Uulliata Digir<\/a>, Esoctrilihum<\/a>, Dordeduh<\/a>, Sur Austru
<\/a>Final verdict: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: V\u00e1n Records<\/a><\/p>\n

The Ruins of Beverast is:
\u2013 Alexander von Meilenwald: everything<\/p>\n

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