By David O’Neill
This second album marks a confident evolution for Dallas trio Temptress, trading some of their 2003 debut’s raw, exploratory heft for a more patient, cinematic strain of heavy psych doom that leans into mood, melody and slow-burn dynamics. While the first album was an exhilarating blend of post-rock, grunge, drone, and doom influences, ‘hear’ (yes, it’s all in lower case) comes across as a more intentional piece. It demonstrates the band’s growing comfort with their unique emotional style, moving beyond simply fitting into specific genres.
On ‘see’, which coincidentally is being reissued in March, Temptress fused post-rock and doom metal through echoing bass, heavy reverb guitars, and layered vocals, creating a dynamic and emotive sound. ‘hear’ shifts to longer themes and recurring motifs with richer production, emphasizing warmth and melancholy over intensity.
‘Be Still’ is more “airy” than traditional doom by employing subtle echo distortion on the guitar and vocals at points, a style carried forward to the opening of ‘Downfall’ before blasting heavy guitar/drum riffage on the remainder of the track until the outro.
Temptress stays true to heavy psych/doom and soft‑haze metal but with ‘hear’ shifts toward melodic and introspective sounds rather than heavy riff-driven compositions.
Drawing on Texan grunge and classic metal, their approach is more emotive and expansive than the occult intensity of some others in the genre. Unlike ‘see’, which blended genres broadly, ‘hear’ delivers focused emotion, helping Temptress stand apart from theatrical doom revivalists while still appealing to core fans. The music remains accessible and may reach a broader audience compared to the genre’s more traditional acts.
- ‘hear‘ is released today (Friday 23 January).
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