REVIEW: ‘Vol. 1′ by The Tempers

Courtesy of thetempers.net

First things first, my initial impression of the Tempers as their website appeared out of a link on my computer screen was: what the hell is this? A picture of the three of them garbed in black with ghostly white make-up plastered on their faces, perched atop a small sofa, their cuddly little squirrel friend glaring down with a permanently petrified look on his face from his position on the wall next to what I could only guess was a sock-puppet alligator, I’ll be honest, I was startled.

After the preliminary shock had dissipated, however, and my brow had once again regained a level position across my face, I began reading their biography. Promises of the best dance party music on the market, the next step in the evolution of rock and roll, and the original disco sensation redefined had me anxious with anticipation.

Being only seventeen years of age, I suppose I wouldn’t understand much about the rock and roll era, the brief but wonderful life of disco music, and I’ve only attended a handful of dance parties, most of which were closely monitored by teachers and parents who passionately purport the undying creed “dancing makes babies.” That being said, perhaps I’m missing out on something here and that’s the reason why I didn’t jump on their music right away.

To me, listening to the first song of their album, Vol. 1 brought back memories of wandering dungeons layered with mystical creatures and trekking across never-ending plains forested by green grasses and four-pixel evergreen trees. I had to restrain myself from leaping on the A-button on my keyboard, whip out my sword and shield hand-crafted by the elves, and start hacking at pots and tufts of grass in search of precious coinage.

When at last I awoke from my RPG-style trance to the dark and sinister voice of Corina Bakker, however, I realized something. This band, undeniably, has talent, and plenty of it. The melodies from the keyboard are interesting and have enough variety from song to song to keep you entertained; the drums hold a steady, consistent beat that force your head up and down in an eerie kind of daze; the guitar and bass spice things up enough to liven the mood without becoming too overbearing; the bizarre interstellar noises in the background send your head spinning; even the vocals are well-maintained, though certainly creepy and in many ways the hardest pill to swallow.

In fact, by the third song, titled “No Direction,” I was actually rather enjoying myself. It was an experience, a different kind of experience, something previously foreign to me, but I truly was enjoying myself. The guitar solos in the fourth song, “Love,” were impressive. In the fifth song, “Nine Style,” I think perhaps Corina had been possessed by the spirit of Dracula, her voice suddenly becoming even more bone-chilling than before, but even that was entertaining and even mesmerizing. The last two songs, “Galactic Love” and “Space Race,” fully embraced the underlying cosmic element of the album in a remarkable display of thematic elegance and at last wrapped everything up in a powerful and compelling climax.

In summation, if you find yourself intrigued by this review, do yourself a favor and head over to the Temper’s website. Don’t be turned away by first impressions as I almost was; there is certainly something to their formula that works.

6 ½ Golden Eggs