Walter Giardino Temple
| Company type | Musical project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Walter Giardino |
| Defunct | 2000 |
Area served | Argentina, South America, Europe |
Key people | Walter Giardino, Ronnie Romero, Fernando Scarcella, Javier Retamozo, Pablo Motyczak |
| Products | Music albums (Walter Giardino Temple) |
Walter Giardino Temple—commonly referred to simply as Temple—is a musical endeavor spearheaded by the Argentine guitar maestro Walter Giardino.
Initial phase
Following the breakup of Rata Blanca in 1998, Temple was established, but activities ceased in 2000 when Rata Blanca reunited. The original roster featured Norberto Rodriguez on vocals, Martin Carrizo handling drums, Pablo Catania on keyboards, and Ruben Trombini playing bass. Their self-titled album Temple included ten tracks, notably the single Corte Porteño. Soon after recording, drummer Martin Carrizo—formerly associated with A.N.I.M.A.L.—departed to collaborate with Gustavo Cerati, and Fernando Scarcella took over the drum position.
The debut record garnered positive feedback, supported by multiple performances throughout Buenos Aires and other provinces. A conflict arose after a concert in which Giardino stopped the band from performing "Burn" alongside Glenn Hughes, citing insufficient skill levels. This led the remaining members to exit and form "Quemar," releasing their own album independently. Subsequently, Giardino and Scarcella enlisted guest artists for concerts in Buenos Aires, including Adrián Barilari, current vocalist of Rata Blanca, who presented an acoustic rendition of "Mujer Amante" that was later added as a bonus track on Rata Blanca's compilation Grandes canciones.
During their South American tour, Hugo Bistolfi (keyboards) and Guillermo Sanchez (bass), both from Rata Blanca, joined the lineup, facilitating the band's eventual reassembly. Meanwhile, Sergio Berdichevsky and Gustavo Rowek opted to continue their project "Nativo," declining to rejoin. Consequently, Giardino reconstituted Rata Blanca as a five-member group, with Scarcella moving to drums. In Temple’s concluding shows, new compositions such as "Revancha" and "La Gran Batalla" were introduced, suggesting plans for another album.
Interim period
After Temple’s members departed, Walter Giardino performed live alongside the Spanish band Mägo de Oz. In 2010, Rata Blanca staged concerts in English featuring former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White, performing English adaptations of Temple songs—among them Corte Porteño, retitled Crushed Memories. Many considered these events more representative of Temple than Rata Blanca due to the absence of Adrián Barilari and Hugo Bistolfi (who was substituted by Danilo Moschen). Doogie White commended Corte Porteño for its exceptional guitar solo. Likewise, in December 2010, Graham Bonnet appeared alongside Giardino and Greg Smith, ex-bassist of Rainbow, performing English versions of Temple material. Earlier that year, Norberto Rodriguez toured with his band Arian under the banner "Reviviendo el disco de Temple," delivering performances of the entire album.
Performances with Joe Lynn Turner (2012/2016)
In September 2012, Giardino brought Temple back to life for tribute concerts honoring Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, featuring guest vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. In 2016, Giardino and Turner embarked on a South American tour covering Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. The ensemble included Fernando Scarcella on drums, Pablo Motyczak playing bass, and Javier Retamozo on keyboards, with Javier Barrozo providing vocals for original Temple compositions.
Tour featuring Ronnie Romero
In November 2017, Walter Giardino announced Ronnie Romero as the new lead singer for Temple. Following this, the group embarked on a 17-show tour spanning Europe—including stops in Spain, England, Scotland, Germany, and the Czech Republic—as well as South America, performing in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
Final line-up
- Walter Giardino – Guitar (1998–2000, 2012, 2016–2017)
- Ronnie Romero – Lead Vocals (2017)
- Fernando Scarcella – Drums (1999–2000, 2012, 2016–2017)
- Javier Retamozo – Keyboards (2016–2017)
- Pablo Motyczak – Bass Guitar (2012, 2016–2017)
Former members
- Norberto Rodriguez – Vocals (1998–1999)
- Martín Carrizo – Drums (1998; deceased 2022)
- Ruben Trombini – Bass Guitar (1998–1999)
- Pablo Catania – Keyboards (1998–1999)
- Daniel Leonetti – Bass Guitar (2000)
- Luis Sánchez – Drums (1998)
- Miguel de Ipola – Keyboards (2000)
- Adrián Barilari – Guest Vocals (2000)
- Danilo Moschen – Keyboards (2012)
- Javier Barrozo – Vocals (2012, 2016)
- Joe Lynn Turner – Guest Vocals (2012, 2016)
Tracklist
- Corte Porteño – (W.Giardino)
- Sobre la raya – (W.Giardino)
- Los amigos del campeón – (N.Rodriguez / W.Giardino)
- Astróloga – (W.Giardino)
- Héroe de la eternidad – (W.Giardino)
- Azul y negro – (W.Giardino)
- Cacería – (N.Rodriguez / W.Giardino)
- La danza del fuego – (W.Giardino)
- El club de las almas perdidas – (W.Giardino)
- Alquimia – (W.Giardino)
Additional compositions
The band created several other tracks intended for upcoming albums; some of these were eventually featured on Rata Blanca's album El Camino del Fuego. Unreleased songs that have appeared in recent Temple live performances include:
- Revancha
- La Gran Batalla en el Cielo
Doogie White provided translations for multiple Temple songs:
- Over The Line (originally Sobre La Raya)
- Crushed Memories (originally Corte Porteño)
- Blue and Black (originally Azul y Negro)