Review: Temptress – Catch the Endless Dawn
Dream On
Hailing from Italy comes Temptress, a traditional heavy metal band formed in 2018. The trio consists of members in other renowned bands in the Italian underground scene such as Gargoyle, Bunker 66 and Children of Technology. After a single release that was also used as part of a collection for label Dying Victims’ compilation release, they finally have a debut album in the form of Catch the Endless Dawn. Temptress aims to show off their take on traditional metal inspired by the likes of Gotham City, Heavy Load and early ’80s Rainbow.
Starting off the album, “Beneath the Waves of Fantasia / Breathe the Dust of Time” shows off the band’s rawer traditional metal take and has a bit of a glam vibe to it as well. Following this comes “Dream Metal” which is a term they’ve been calling themselves; it sounds okay as I can see their potential but it feels like there’s something missing. This as a result makes the song feel bland and too long despite the goofy sounding chorus it has.
The next track, “Woman of the Dark,” feels much more lively compared to the previous two tracks and feels like it has more energy as well; the guitar solo included on the track really helps with that too. Now, onto the title track: “Catch the Endless Dawn” easily feels like one of the better tracks on the album. What makes this song stand out are the nicer riffs and guitar leads as well as catchier vocals.
Another strong (and quite possibly my favorite) track on Catch the Endless Dawn is “Awake the Enchanter.” This track really stands out with its grittier sound compared to the rest of the album so far. There are also some nods to Mercyful Fate which is very welcome as well as the vocals on here having more punch and range. “Fears like Towers” starts off with an impressive riffy intro with a falsetto scream that King Diamond would be proud of. This track does feel more riff-oriented and thrives on the lead guitar performance that I really liked on this song. The dual leads and guitar solo are standout moments in addition.
Despite the name sounding like a rejected title of a Kirby game, “Nightflight over Dreamland” is a fun track that contains another standout performance in the guitar department. The mix of melodic riffs and solo work is really nice. Ending this album is “She’s Cold,” which once again contains a very good intro; it closes Catch the Endless Dawn out on a high as this track is fantastically catchy with a fun chorus and riffs that make you feel like you’re watching an ’80s B movie action film.
Overall, it’s been an interesting journey through this record. It started off pretty weak personally but feels like it got better as it progressed through the second half. Their concept of doing a raw heavy metal album with some glam elements was an interesting idea that gave mixed results. Some parts especially in the first half comes off as half-baked and felt underwhelming as a result while its best moments are when they hit the mark with the catchy vocals and the lead guitars take the spotlight. As a debut, they have potential and I would certainly check out a future follow-up from them. While I had fun listening to this, in a year that has been strong in the traditional heavy metal department (as mentioned in my previous reviews for Tower and Fer de Lance), Temptress’s debut doesn’t feel like something I’ll be coming back to much despite those fun moments I liked.
3/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Catch the Endless Dawn is out this August 1 via Dying Victims Productions.
