There is something so immensely enjoyable about being introduced to a brand new band, an excitement, curiosity to search through the latest release or scour the back catalogue. As music fans it’s a rite of passage, leading us to the deepest cuts of certain bands that go on to, in some cases, change lives, reignite fires and soothe souls. In our teens, it’s almost effortless, something we take for granted. But by the time we reach our thirties and beyond, we may look back and wonder if we let those moments slip away.
In this instance, Templeton Pek, formed back in 2005, have managed to completely pass me by. Not to worry though, the perks of writing for ROCK SINS provides just the opportunity now to start on that long winding road to find those long lost, singles, b sides or previously unreleased material by a band two decades into their career. To start with though, we focus on their most recent release Savages.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. If you’re a fan of Rise Against and, by some chance, haven’t stumbled across Templeton Pek yet, you’re in for a treat. This is explosive, fiery post-punk, brimming with snarling vocals and choruses built to be shouted back at full volume. The title track opens up the album, and gives you all of the above. The verses have a great feel and a delicious drop lulls you gently in before the chorus unleashes, driving forward at great speed. There is a little tinge of RIOT era Paramore about the music which captivates and is almost a little nostalgic.
Hurricanes follows, echoed reverb and spikey verse lurches into a superbly catchy chorus. Here we get a touch of Alexisonfire, painted in amongst the rest. Frontman Neal Mitchell deserves real credit here, shifting effortlessly from throaty screams to soaring clean vocals. A dramatic, haunting bridge pulls everything into darker territory before feeding seamlessly back into the hook-laden chorus and a powerful outro. Paradigm follows, viscous and at breakneck speed. Whilst Artifact slows the pace but still delivers. It’s angular, cutting but still packs hooks for days.And for the music nerds amongst us, the small musical bridge at about two minutes into Artifact has a delightful hint of The Police about it.
There is no doubt that Savages certainly delivers on energy and execution, but by the time you arrive at No Kings and Perfect Storm, no matter how hard they’ve tried, it is hard to ignore how much of it feels overly familiar. The fingerprints of Rise Against and countless other post-punk bands are stamped all over these songs. It’s tight, it’s polished, but it also underlines the nagging problem with this style, too often, once you’ve heard one, you’ve essentially heard them all.
That same problem lingers on Pioneers, however less apparent on Reviver, which has more substance. Opening with a swinging, wistful passage before bursting to life, its chorus is triumphant, but it’s the rolling verses that really win you over. Mitchell is once again in fine voice, and the track carries a delightful shade of Funeral For A Friend, helped along by a well-placed guitar solo and a sharp, concise breakdown. Ghosts, meanwhile, feels like a halfway point between the two. The verses don’t bring anything new to the table, but the chorus rescues it with an epic half-time feel and end-of-the-world theatrics. You can already hear the audience screams and picture the chaos of the pits it’s destined to unleash.
Print Is Dead and Tempest close the album, with the FFAF influence still running strong on Print. Mitchell viscerally spits out “don’t let the bastards grind you down!” before the band tears back in with another ferocious riff. It’s brimming with fire and bite, qualities carried straight into Tempest, which builds relentlessly before finally crashing in like a door kicked clean off its hinges. It’s good, It’s really good… It’s just been heard before.
For those who love this raucous, passionate post punk, ‘Savages’ is a must hear. Templeton Pek don’t just match the urgency of their peers, they channel it with precision and conviction. The record brims with fire, heart, and choruses built for sweaty venues and festival stages alike. Overfamiliarity may remain a sticking point, but what they might lack in originality they more than make up for in execution. In fact, Savages stands head and shoulders above most of Rise Against’s recent output, the most obvious comparator, and proves that Templeton Pek deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as the genre’s heavyweights.
‘Savages’ is out now via SBAM Records. Save it, buy vinyl and get more information from the bands’ Linktree here.
