Brock Van Wey's new album lives up to its mystical name. It's an awe inspiring edifice in its own right even though the architecture of this aural citadel is essentially quite simple. The tracks are mostly built around short phrases or patterns that are repeated over and over again for an average of 10 minutes. So this is no prog rock labyrinth. The complexity lies elsewhere, in the building materials themselves - the textures - and how they are layered together to create a sumptuously rich tapestry of sound that seems imbued with a divine spirit.
As far as I can gather, Temple of Silence is a name used for places of meditation. Incredibly apt for what you experience listening to this mesmerizing music. The hypnotic repetition, slow build up and increasingly complex soundscapes draw you into a deep trance if you let them. The opening track, "A Quiet Doorway Awaits", ushers you into this place of power. By the middle of the second track, "The Past Disappears", the present and future have also evaporated and you feel like you've left this mortal coil behind.
I have to admit, the first couple of times I listened to the album I had a hard time staying awake. First of all, because I'm probably not getting enough sleep these days. But also because you can't help but just completely relax and let go listening to this album. It's magical.
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