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Interview with Temple of Blood
JesusMetal: Hey Jim !! How are you doing ?
Jim: Great!
JesusMetal: The most formal questions of all, could you please give a (brief) introduction to Temple of Blood (genre, members, ...)
Jim: Sure. TEMPLE OF BLOOD began in late 2001 with the goal of playing powerful melodic thrash metal with Christian lyrics. We started out playing a lot of cover songs to sharpen our chops, and then we started putting together all the songs for our debut album. "Prepare for the Judgement of Mankind" was released in January of 2006. It received a lot of positive reviews and then it was on to writing songs for our next album. "Overlord" was released in April of 2008. Our current line-up is Jim Mullis (vocals and lead guitar), Matt Barnes (lead and rhythm guitar), Lance Wright (drums), and Jim Lewis (bass guitar).
JesusMetal: Congrats on the release of Overlord ! Are you happy how it came out ? Do the other guys share your thoughts?
Jim: Thanks! I am pleased with how it turned out because I think it was a big step forward from our debut album although there is always room for improvement IMHO. Me and the other guys don't always agree on everything so you'd probably have to ask them. I don't like to speak for other people.
Jesusmetal: Overlord is your second release, Prepare for the Judgement was your first, what exactly makes Overlord stand out compared to Prepare ?
If you look back at the first album, what do you think about it? How were the reactions of press, fans, etc?
Jim: To me, Overlord is a much more focused, better-written, better-performed, and better-recorded album. To me, Prepare is a fun album but we have improved a lot as a band since then. Reactions are good. I think the reaction to the first album was stronger because the thrash scene wasn't as saturated in 2006 as it is now, with big metal labels scooping up any retro-thrash band they can find.
JesusMetal: Temple of Blood is a christian band, what kind of lyrical approach do you guys take? And what exactly is the meaning behind 'Temple of Blood' ?
Jim: I write lyrics that tell stories from the Bible or illustrate Christian principles but I try not to have lyrics that sound like every other Christian metal band out there. I try not to use "Christianese" terminology that the unsaved may not understand or be able to relate to. I also want my lyrics to be 100% metal, not wimpy middle-of-the-road stuff.
"Temple of Blood" refers to our bodies (our flesh and blood), which are temples to the Lord.
JesusMetal: Could you tell something about the coverart of Overlord?
Jim:
The idea for the cover art was to depict something that was larger than life, something magnificent that is grander than our mundane concerns.
JesusMetal: You guys are almost like a time-machine back to the 80s, where thrash was one of the most flourishing genres. What bands do you see as your examples? What do you think about thrash metal these days ?
Jim: My favorite thrash bands are MEGADETH, DARK ANGEL, ARTILLERY, ANNIHILATOR, TESTAMENT, TOXIK, FORBIDDEN, and a whole lot more.
The thrash scene overall is doing well these days, but like I said before it is becoming oversaturated. The big metal labels have snatched up some of the worst thrash bands that people will quickly get sick of IMHO. But there have been some enjoyable recent releases by bands like VIOLATOR, GAMA BOMB, HEXEN, STRIKEMASTER, and SUICIDAL ANGELS. It's nice to be able to buy some good thrash metal again after a big dry spell in the 90s and early 00s.
JesusMetal: Musicians can hardly stop making music, and I know Overlord hasn't been out that long, but are you working on new stuff already ? What can we expect from ToB in the future? Maybe some more live shows?
Jim: Right now I am mainly just handling orders and band business. I have also joined a cover band that I am singing for, so that takes up some of my time. The other guys are playing in other bands too. I have started work on a few more songs, so I am always thinking of what the band needs to do next. We don't have a target date for our next release, it will just get done when it is ready. I'm not sure there are any live shows in ToB's future unless we get a really good offer we can't ignore.
JesusMetal: Thanks for your time Jim, any things you'd like to share ?
Jim: No, I think that is everything. I really appreciate the opportunity to do my second interview for the site. Thanks for all the support! May God bless you and your website.
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