In 2018, husband and wife duo Alexandra and Zachary James brought their sweet Satanic Doo-Wop sounds to an unsuspecting world of music listeners with their band Twin Temple. Hitting the road with acts such as Graveyard, King Dude, and Ghost, just to name a few, Twin Temple won over a whole slew of people (myself included) with a live show that was unique, fun, and unlike anything I had ever seen.
After a few years of touring behind their debut album, I wondered if Twin Temple would ever release any new music. While the band seemed more focused on releasing overpriced merchandise for their now (oc)cult following, the fans ate it all up quicker than roasted marshmallows in hell. Aside from the fantastic 2022 single release “Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy,” Twin Temple laid low until 2023 with the release of God Is Dead. I wondered if Twin Temple would grow from their debut album or would they be another one-trick pony.
Clocking in at a mere 28 minutes, Twin Temple understands the “less is more” philosophy. Stylistically, the musical direction of God Is Dead isn’t taking us down any new paths. It’s another collection of doo-wop-style rock and roll, but they seem more dialed into the sound this time. They sound confident, and they have definitely mastered the craft of this type of music.
“Burn Your Bible” is a fantastic song to kick the album off, but it was predictable as it sounded very close to the kickoff song “The Devil Didn’t Make Me Do It” from their debut. When I got to the fourth track, the “Different Drum,” inspired “Two Sinners,” I felt like I was listening to the debut album all over again. From “Black Magic” to the end of the eighth and final track, “God Is Dead,” Twin Temple had lost my attention. As a matter of fact, when the album ended, I didn’t even notice it was over and had kicked over to another album.
With my thoughts on the material on the album out of the way, let me address the white elephant in the coven: the god-awful production. This was a huge miss. The distorted static sound of the mono records of the ‘50s didn’t translate well at all; honestly, it sounds contrived. God Is Dead would’ve sounded much better with a warm analog sound. Just because they play doo-wop music, the sound and production don’t have to mimic the original sound of this genre. I had the hardest time going back and listening again to write this review, and it felt even less listenable than the first time. Twin Temple actually released a video for an older song called “Girl Trouble” that was done sometime around 2016/2017 and that song sounds more like a step forward stylistically and audibly than God Is Dead does. Maybe they should revisit that song and take some notes from their past selves.
God Is Dead may translate into “Twin Temple is Dead” if they’re not careful. This band has the skill to be a truly interesting and exciting band, but they need to stretch beyond the limitations that they’ve placed on themselves. As for the other fans, I honestly think that people love the idea and the overall package of Twin Temple more than the music itself. It’s like Ghost. It’s a freak show to see and to be seen at. People dress up and turn it into an event, and you know what? That is okay.
Creatively and production-wise, I expected more from them. Maybe they are a one-trick pony, and perhaps they’re okay with it, but at some point, the schtick will wear thin once another band comes along with another schtick. I’ll never miss a Twin Temple show if I can help it. Even if their future releases end up being drab and boringly predictable, I can count on them to at least put on a great, fun live show. I hope.
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