If you’ve never heard (or heard of) Twin Temple (and, alas, I fall into that category, even though this is the band’s third album), there’s a good chance that you’ll think you’ve placed the wrong disc in the player when you hit play, but hang fire because there’s something quite unique happening here. Formed by Alexandra and Zachary James, a pair of married satanists whose love of rock ‘n’ roll has led them into offering a counterpoint to the more metallic fare that traditionally champions the dark one, God Is Dead is an album of incredibly authentic doo wop, albeit with lyrics destined to make your local priest reach for his book of exorcism. It’s an interesting proposition – after all, who’s to say what constitutes satanic music – and the disorienting results, initially likely to raise a smile for listeners more used to face melting riffs than vintage sounds, are surprisingly irresistible the more you listen.
The band capture the imagination from the outset, with opening number Burn Your Bible more suited to a wholesome diner, lyrical themes notwithstanding, than the pages of Kerrang! The overall effect – from the deliberately lo-fi recording (simulating a battered 45) to the whimsical backing vocals – is eyebrow raising to say the least and, those hoping it’s an act of quirky misdirection will soon be disabused of that notion as (Fallin’ For A) Fallen Angel lands. However, by the time the slinky Let’s Have A Satanic Orgy vamps into view (complete with whispered “666s”), it all starts to make some sort of bizarre sense and, while you may struggle to suppress a smile, there’s no doubting that Twin Temple turn in a very authentic doo wop sound. Indeed, were they to be heard out of context, it’s easy to imagine the unwary assuming it was some long-lost cut from the late 50s. With brisk percussion, Two Sinners features some nice surf guitar, Alexandra throwing in a spoken-word vocal amidst the “sha la las”, making for a track that’ll stick in your mind, no matter how much you resist. The pace slows for the vintage rock ‘n’ roll of Black Magick, which (whisper it) recalls Cliff Richard back when he fronted The Shadows, and the overall atmosphere is neatly augmented by the duo’s insistence on using authentic recording techniques and analogue gear.
Arguably the album’s best cut, not least thanks to a delightfully gritty performance from both Alexandra and Zachary (the latter unleashing a fiery surf solo), Spellbreaker is definitely the track with which to entice your friends, although it faces some stiff [ahem] competition from Be A Slut, a raucous track with a Rock Around The Clock vibe. Honestly, if it weren’t for the duo’s absolute dedication, it wouldn’t work; but their attention to detail is deeply appealing, and while they surely recognise the humour in it all (and there’s an ever-present twinkle in the performances that is infectious), they treat the creation of the music with utmost seriousness. The album concludes with the airy title track, a string-swept ballad with a romantic undercurrent, that sees Alexandra and Zachary whirl past, their feet skipping lightly over the dance floor as the band play them out.
A truly unique album, I expected to find myself reaching for skip button, only to find myself reaching for the volume instead. There’s something deeply appealing about a musical act doing something so utterly outside of the mainstream, and it’s actually kind of delightful that this album is reaching a wider audience than the original 666 copies (of course) allowed. If you dig the atmosphere of Doo Wop in general, or perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s soundtracks, then you should give this a listen. It’s short, sinister, and quite remarkably true to the genre. You may well own nothing else quite like it, but take a chance and you’ll have a ball. 8/10
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