Album Review: The Peep Tempel The Peep Tempel

When Melbourne duo The Peep Tempel added a bass player to their line-up, it seemed superfluous. They already had a massive sound, with an octave pedal on the guitar doubling up the low frequencies anyway – it didn't seem necessary. After hearing these recordings and witnessing their live show as a three-piece it's safe to say it was a fucking brilliant decision.

On their debut album they've lived up to the promises presented by both their live performance and earlier seven-inch singles. The album kicks off with the sinister Lance, built on a two-chord pulse punctuated with flourishes of squealing guitars that are integral to the band's sound. The drumming is intense and explosive – erupting when it feels the need which thankfully is quite often. The tempo is increased for Collusion, and you start to get the idea of the non-stop party happening here. Even when the pace is dropped for People Don't Get You, Do What You Want and Mission Floyd, there's no reduction in intensity. It's hard to go past earlier single Thank You Machiavelli as the pinnacle moment of the record – a more blistering command to lose your shit is basically impossible to imagine. While it doesn't have the subtlety of some of the other numbers, its ridiculously violent in your face party mayhem is beyond infectious.

While occasionally some of their influences seep through to the surface, The Peep Tempel really don't sound like anything other than everything a rock'n'roll band should be.