Temptress – Hear

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · February 20, 2026

Temptress is heavy rocking doom metal trio originated in Dallas, Texas. Formed in 2019, the band consists of Kelsey Wilson on guitar and vocals, Christian Wright on bass and vocals, and Andi Cuba on drums and vocals. The music combines heavy psych, grunge, stoner, and doom, with atmospheric layers of synth and post-hardcore elements also. They released a three song single in 2019, their debut album 2023’s See, and their latest sophomore full length, 2026’s Hear. Hear came out on January 23rd 2026 on Blues Funeral Recordings and it contains eight tracks at thirty six minutes long.

Temptress is a band that I grow more fond of with each consecutive listen. They sound very original and the music is fairly intricate, allowing new discoveries to be heard each time that I listen to the album. Hear could very well be my favorite release of January 2026, as I find myself drawn to wanna keep listening to it. There is so much greatness happening with these eight tracks that should not be denied or overlooked.

As the tribal drums and atmospheric soundscapes begin “Into”, the instrumental introduction to Hear, I am immediately intrigued by the music that Temptress are articulating. The eerie pic slides and psychedelic overtones are led by the percussive stomping. The track leads right into “Narrows”, an esoteric rocker backed by the almost spoken but smooth vocals of bassist Christian Wright. The song is a mesmerizing flow of riffs and angular rock elegance. It builds up naturally as the music and vocals intensify but never losing the groove or fluidity of the song. The heavy and light dynamics are expressed magnificently with every note floating around the shadowy rhythms.

The third track called “Edge” features the beautiful vocals of Kelsey Wilson and Andi Cuba accentuating. The song has a grunge style glide with a sludgy guitar tone. It has all the right elements of a powerful hard rock song, frolicking through melodious dynamics. When “These Walls” hits the speakers, the music is rocking and direct. Wright handles the lead vocals and the guitar riffs and harmonies are progressive, yet direct. The song has a bouncy post-hardcore hammering that is catchy and intriguing. Musically speaking, the trio sounds like a five-piece band with all the audio intricacies and sonic segments happening in each song. The talent of each band member is astounding and they all add such depth to each track.

“Now Or Never” returns to the powerful female driven singing that bridges the intensity in the delivery. “Tell me who’s laughing now, cause it’s not me” is sung with such passion and emotion. The music is tight in its execution with great straight forward drumming pounding away into the fuzzy rhythms, allowing for some tasty guitar leads to flourish too. Temptress are seasoned musicians focused wholly on creating the most satisfying tones that collaborates with the song. Different musical genres are explored and trying to fully categorize this band is futile.

The sixth track “Be Still” starts off mellow with clean guitars and a simple commanding drum beat. The ethereal vocals of Wilson has a strong angelic sound which suits the vibe of the song perfectly. They incorporate fuzzy rhythms that intertwine with fantastic lead guitar playing. “Downfall” is another slow builder that then breaks through into a heavy rocking bliss. The song explores atmospheric melodies with noise rocking components, with a massive slice of doom. The chugging rhythms towards the end of the track are pretty insane and Wilson’s vocals are expressive and stunning. You can feel the emotion of intent with the singing and the music is so engaging and interesting in each of the tempo changes and riff structures. Temptress hypnotizes the listener and Hear transcends these talented musicians into exceptional songwriters. Everything is cohesive and works magically on this album, balancing off the hard driving rhythms with the more lush tones.

The final track is called “Out Of” and it’s a complementary finisher for a magnificent album! It’s a more laid back instrumental jam that is just captivating. The more I listen to Hear, the better it gets! Temptress are definitely on the rise with this enthralling piece of musical art. Everything sounds like it belongs exactly where it was intended and nestled in the right places on this record. The songs will get under your skin and into your soul and will demand your full attention and compliance. Hear transitions eloquently with it’s heavy dissonant grooves and rocking hypnosis- and it is a pure delight to listen to and experience as one uninterrupted musical entity.