Described by guitarist Billy Duffy as "rock music from a European perspective with the sensibilities of punk",[6] the album features some of the band's most popular songs, including "Fire Woman" and "Edie (Ciao Baby)".

"[6] The album cover features Duffy with his Les Paul, partially obscuring a picture of vocalist Ian Astbury, chosen because the band wanted "to capture the essence of what a powerchord felt like.

"[6] Sonic Temple marked the first time the band worked with Bob Rock, who would later produce The Cult, Beyond Good and Evil, Choice of Weapon and Hidden City.

"[18] Karen Douthwaite of Hi-Fi News & Record Review noticed that the band "recycling the same riffs for the last few albums" and "guitar sound intensified and metallized to AC/DC proportions.".

[19] Parke Puterbaugh of Stereo Review considered that the band "borrows its inspiration" from Led Zeppelin, Queen and other AOR heroes from the hard rock Seventies, but "there's something perversely addictive about this music, with its upfront aggression and its slow-motion orgasms of drums and guitars building to a raunchy climax.