#blues-funeral-recordings — Public Fediverse posts

The best things in life often happen organically. Temptress1 began in 2019 in Dallas, Texas, as three friends casually jamming together, and they had enough natural chemistry to decide to take their alluring stoner doom to the studio. Like someone who is well-versed in the art of seduction, they appear to be working their way through each of the five senses. Their debut full-length, see, was born in 2023, but now the time has come to close your eyes and hear what Temptress has conjured up for their sophomore record.

hear is both more immediate and less straightforward than its predecessor. Temptress has livened up the laid-back stoner rock of see with copious amounts of grunge. Kelsey Wilson’s guitar lines are equally likely to slip into a hypnotic, looping groove as they are to burst into peppy riffs. The passages occasionally slow to a doomy plod or bear a passing resemblance to the psychedelic side of Messa. Regardless of style, much of the repetitive songwriting has been tightened across the board, making hear’s average track length and total runtime noticeably shorter.

hear by Temptress

hear is a concerted group effort that respects each member’s individuality. All three members share mic duty, which affords variety rather than synergy because most songs have only one vocalist (with the exception of some backing vocals during the chorus of “Narrows”). The ethereal female croons2 in “Edge” and “Downfall” tend to fit the music best; however, the singing elsewhere can sound a bit flat (“Now or Never,” “Narrows”), not quite matching the passion with which they play their respective instruments. Andi Cuba’s drumming has an endearing, quirky character—I like that intro track “Into” uses only tom and bass drums, although there are small annoyances such as the overuse of syncopation (“Edge”) or snare drum fills (“Downfall”). Christian Wright takes the lead with bass guitar in outro track “Out of,” which I hope to hear more of in the future.

Temptress is becoming adept at writing a cohesive record that keeps a live setting in mind. The first half is much more energetic, giving hear the initial impression of being front-loaded, but the back half contains additional nuance upon closer listening. “Be Still” and “Downfall” experiment with tempo shifts to overall success, save for the 30 seconds or so of dead time at the end of each track. The bookends tie hear together well as a package, with a crisp transition from “Into” to “Narrows” and “Out of” complementing the introduction neatly. The one song that I struggle with as a whole is “Now or Never” due to the deadpan vocals and repetitive lyrics, but the instruments are spirited enough that I can imagine that this would work better when performed live.

Temptress comes across as a tight-knit group that retains a refreshing “no expectations” attitude from their early jamming days. The stoner doom and grunge work very well together to produce plenty of enjoyable licks and riffs, although the vocals are something of a mixed bag. Temptress’ growth between see and hear is impressive. I’d like to see them continue to refine their more subtle, contemplative songwriting approach in addition to their more straightforward, bouncy side. All in all, what I’ve heard so far makes me eager to touch Temptress’ next album.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: temptressofficial.bandcamp.com | temptressofficial.com | facebook.com/temptressdfw
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

Castle Rat – The Bestiary Review

By Saunders

New York’s Castle Rat generated buzz off the back of their impressive slab of fantasy-inspired doom rock featured on 2024s Into the Realm. A fuzzy, female-fronted doom act with sword and sorcery shtick and a theatrical, unabashedly old school bent, the debut featured tight, infectious songwriting and enough retro flair and heavy metal swagger to rise above the familiar, throwback nature of their craft. Of course, the debut had its detractors, with their theatrical antics, coupled with a not especially original sound, failing to match the hype for some listeners enamored with the heavily populated throwback doom rock/metal scenes. Striking while the iron’s hot, Castle Rat return in quick time with sophomore album, The Bestiary. A quickfire turnaround is a welcome thing, though creates a sense of trepidation of rushed work. Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) and her fellow minions return full of fire and ready to cast their doomy spell for the second time.

Castle Rat hit the ground running with their warm and cozy retro sound intact, albeit featuring a livelier, louder and more propulsive reiteration of the sound established on the debut. Whether listeners find their whole deal too gimmicky or not, it’s tough to doubt the authenticity and passion for their chosen style. Castle Rat channel a ’70s psychedelic haze, prominent Black Sabbath influence, and share surface similarities with acts such as the underrated and enchanting Purson, and modern stoner doom merchants Green Lung. The Bestiary is an altogether harder-hitting and boisterous entity compared to the debut, jacking up the NWoHM and fantasy-inspired bombast for extra crunch. “Phoenix I” unfurls in a slow-burning, dramatic and deliberate fashion, setting the scene for Pinkerton and co to unleash their full fury.

The Bestiary’s increased gallop and fiery guitar work ignite around the poppier sensibilities and smooth central doom grooves and prevalently catchy vocal hooks. Although not the most distinctive frontwoman in the biz, Pinkerton’s silky vocal hooks and confident, commanding delivery continue to a key focal point. Right out the gate, Castle Rat stockpile big-hitting rockers, courtesy of the bluesy doom swagger and earworm hooks of rollicking gems, “Wolf I” and “Wizard.” “Siren” keeps the good times rolling, employing tense rhythmic builds and seductively sinister vocals to cast its spell. There is an easy-to-like simplicity and infectiousness to Castle Rat’s songwriting that shines when the band’s craftsmanship is at its best. Dialing up the epic-ness and adding extra crunch and pepper creates a burlier, higher-octane effort. Within the rowdier experience, Franco Vittore (aka The Count) belts out some blazing solos, while lending doomy weight to straightforward rockers (‘Serpent, “Dragon”) and a grinding, ominous touch to “Unicorn.” Castle Rat’s willingness to experiment outside their comfort zone results in an adventurous, though mixed bag. The softer material nails mysterious, foreboding atmospheres and changes pace, though these shorter pieces are generally less engaging than the album’s rockier fare.

Amidst The Bestiary’s endearing and infectious songwriting, drawbacks appear, tainting an otherwise enjoyable opus. The bricked mastering and loud production detract from the music’s warmth and endearing charms. This issue is felt in numerous areas. The drums lack punch, the mix is squashed and muddied, while dynamic shifts, such as acoustic forays, or the noisy, climactic cacophony on “Unicorn” and “Sun Song” are sapped of their power, dulling impact. Another notable change from the debut is the increased runtime, climbing to nearly fifty minutes, in contrast to its predecessor’s refreshing efficiency. There are momentum drops and pacing issues. These factors and the front-loaded nature of the album contribute to bloat. An intro, outro, mid-album instrumental piece (“Path of Moss”) and three decent, acoustic-driven folkier tunes have their merits but combined contribute to pacing issues and overall padding.

Into the Realm was an impressive debut outing, signaling Castle Rat as a fresh force pedaling retro and fantasy-clad doom to strong effect. The Bestiary marks an ambitious, solid, if flawed follow-up. Significant production concerns and the aforementioned pacing issues, bloat, and an uneven backend detract from an album that reaffirms Castle Rat as a talented band with old school values and a vision to diversify their formula with intriguing results. While not everything hits the mark, there is still much to unpack, some killer tunes, and fun to be had. Hopefully Castle Rat can channel their creativity into a more consistent, tighter effort next time round.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 2304 kbps (Lossless)
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

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