I cannot imagine the whiplash an unsuspecting listener of the previous Alicia Cordisco album would have coming to this without knowing that her self-named project largely exists to put out music that doesn't fit with other existing projects and isn't planned to be part of a new fully fledged band. Whereas The Burden of I was a tour de force of emotionally resonant black metal with grand arrangements and complex musicianship, My Restless Temple is a snappy and direct work of symphonic power metal that would have been right at home in the mid-2000s, finding itself somewhere between the bombast and style of Nightwish and After Forever and the radio-friendly, alt-rock inspired sounds of Evanescence and maybe later Within Temptation. The songwriting is streamlined and focused on big hooks and catchy riffs, but it also contains layers of deceptive depth that keep the compositions from being style over substance. The riffs don't take center stage as much, often being a rhythmic base more than anything, but there are some great licks to be found, all of which share room with really killer lead work, solid synth work that never takes precedence over the metal, and even some strong bass lines.

The big selling point of the album, however, is the whopping six vocalists Alicia recruited. The lion's share of the work is put on fellow Justicar member Jordan Rutledge and solo artist Aya Druid. Aya has a gorgeous, sensitive voice that serves as a real highlight, and Rutledge has a good tone and a charismatic delivery, but I find his lower and mid ranges are stronger than his highs, which often feel very forced and end up being a little distracting. There are also performances from Twilight Force's Kristin Starkey ("A Desperate Hour," "No Leaf Clover"), fellow Transgressive member Bethany "Beef" Pitts ("Wizard and Mask"), Soulmass singer and Wraithstorm collaborator Lux Edwards ("Save the Dream"), and even Judicator's John Yelland ("Laid to Waste"), all of which give very different but high-quality performances that range from impassioned to fierce to simply beautiful. When combined with expert songwriting and musicianship, this all leads to first-rate tracks like the excellent opener "Something Beautiful," the hook-laden "The Jester and the Fool," and the gorgeous "What the Forest Gave Us."

All that said, I do find the alt-rock aspects a bit overbearing for my tastes at times, most notably with the bouts of bouncy, rhythmic riffs and the track "Laid to Waste." I also take exception to "Save the Dream," which is a good song by itself, but is also more of a melodic death metal song with trace symphonics and (excellent) harsh vocals that make the whole thing feel out of place. Then there's the cover of Metallica's "No Leaf Clover," which...look, S&M was never an album I liked very much, especially the original material, and for all the work clearly put into the cover, I can't say it changes my mind on how much I like the song itself.

With how predominant symphonic power metal has become since the era this album works to emulate, it's refreshing that it works hard to dig into what elements came together to form the style as we know it, especially when done with a precision and quality that's not always present even in today's bands. Some may find its old-fashioned instincts unpalatable, but overall, My Restless Temple is an impressive work that'd easily have a status as a classic if released roughly twenty years ago, and definitely deserves the attention and accolades of metal fans today.