Photo Credit: Kristen Zarra
There is nothing more rewarding than stumbling across a band you haven’t heard of, giving it a listen and it blows your mind. That’s exactly what Inner Temple has done for me. The band is based out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and formed in late 2013. The band released a 5 track EP titled ‘Captivity’ on October 28, 2016. The EP was Recorded/Mixed by former drummer Keeyan Zimmerman and Produced by Chris Castillo from the band The Greater Victory. ‘Captivity’ is the follow up to the 2 track EP ‘The Games We Play’ that the band released in February 2016. The band includes various elements in their music including alternative and hard rock with a heavy influence of grunge and some fuzzed out stoner qualities as well. The band is currently comprised of Dustin Schumacher on vocals/guitar and Kevin Schlosser on drums. The drumming on ‘Captivity’ was completed by former drummer Keeyan Zimmerman who has since left the band. Inner Temple is currently auditioning bassists to fill the final spot in their trio. The band’s debut EP released early in 2014 and is very rare to find, but it sparked a cult following of fans that have helped the band get the word out about their unique sound.
Inner Temple kick things off with the track “Always Something” and it boasts a very appealing grunge sound. The guitar work throughout the track has a great distorted rhythm that keeps you head banging for the duration of the track. Vocalist/guitarist Dustin Schumacher really commands your attention with a delicate soft singing style that eventually evolves into more of a scream. ‘Your Favorite Season’ showcases more of the band’s alternative influence and the chorus compels listeners to sing along. The lyrics here are also heart felt and you can feel the emotion within Dustin’s vocal tone. The lyrics open the song with “I’m decomposing in your casket of lies, And tell me darling does the greener grass match your eyes. Is this what you wanted, Is this what you needed, I’m not coming home. Is this what you wanted, Is this all we’re made of, This is letting go.” The drumming in this track also makes up a large portion of the constant rhythm it heralds, and the tempo changes in the song showcase the talents of former drummer Keeyan Zimmerman. The title track to the album “Captivity” has some of the darker lyrical content on the album. The vocals take on a somber tone with an echoing backing vocal. “Everyday I cut myself on broken glass and memories of all the pain you gave to me. If I hung a noose right above your bed would you beg for me to jump, Can’t crawl out of this slump.” It’s not only hauntingly sad lyrics, but it’s something that most people in all walks of life can somehow relate to. Every song on this album is composed not only of great instrumentation but well thought out and passionate lyrics. Inner Temple has no weak links, from every angle the band is strong and has a chemistry that can be easily heard within their music. Unfortunately, I was a little late to the party with this release, but it would have certainly been in my top 5 albums of 2016.
Follow Inner Temple on Facebook here.
