On their first album as a quartet (and fifth overall), Detroit death-doom killers Temple of Void reach beyond the confines of extreme metal to incorporate grunge and post-punk influences. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Erdody does his best Chris Barnes impression on opener “Poison Icon,” in which the band contrasts chunky death metal with chiming gothic melodies. The title track churns with malevolence and deep bass dives, while “A Dead Issue” opens with swarming synths that pave the way for a triumphant sci-fi epic. Lyrically, Erdody describes the album’s theme as “an allegory about life, choices, and consequences.” In that spirit, he draws on the work of speculative fiction icon Harlan Ellison for the crushing “Godless Cynic” and tells a tale about a doppelgänger stalker on the booming closer “The Twin Stranger.”