Hovels of the Holy
The Templars of Doom
(Independent)
Templars of Doom Tattoo Covered Hag
Every gig is St. Patrick's Day for the Templars of Doom. The Templars' songs draw inspiration, characters, and locales from their Ulster County home, as well as their spiritual home in the province of Northern Ireland. Blasting off as the punk/Irish hybrid Alternative Ulster, the current quintet of Rory Quinn (guitars, bouzouki, vocals), Michael X. Rose (vocals, bass, banjo), Eric Pomarico (drums, vocals), Marty Shane (mandolin, vocals), and Josie Rose (bagpipes, vocals) have released their second long-playing record. The martial punk of "H-Block Escape" celebrates the 1983 escape of 38 IRA inmates from Maze prison in Northern Ireland. "Black Friday on My Mind" musically contrasts the down-and-out tale of a beggar with the ecstatic hope of a believer on Good Friday. The bawdy and humorous "Tattoo Covered Hag" carries on the Irish tradition of spinning a good yarn; tin whistles, mandolin, and bagpipes blending seamlessly with gnashing guitars and pounding drums.
