Heavy Temple

Philadelphia’s Heavy Temple — at long last — makes their triumphant full-length debut this year. After a number of EPs and split since their inception in 2012, Lupi Amoris signals the band’s soaring next steps. If their future is anything like their newest single, “A Desert Through the Trees,” the sky isn’t even the limit for what’s to come.

The five-and-a-half-minute offering fleshes out a heavy mass of psychedelic doom. It is loaded with classic rock and psych swagger and at the helm of it is the powerful voice (and low end) of High Priestess Nighthawk. The band’s sole original member seems to lift the song — and all of Heavy Temple‘s music — into the stratosphere. The track unfurls and ultimately finds an exclamation point in its final minute concluding with a dizzying solo that builds towards a momentous crescendo.

In a statement to Decibel, High Priestess Nighthawk stated, “Lyrically, this song expresses the desire to find something, or for something to find you. The desert, specifically Joshua Tree, is probably one of my favorite natural environments on the planet, and given the vibe of the song, the title seemed apt.”

Watch the video of “A Desert Through the Trees” below and pre-order Lupi Amoris ahead of its release on June 18 through Magnetic Eye Records. - Decibel Magazine

For lovers of doom metal and heavy psych, Philadelphia undoubtedly has one of the richest scenes in the country, having given rise to nationally and internationally recognized acts like Stinking Liz, Serpent Throne, Crypt Sermon, Ecstatic Vision, and Ruby the Hatchet. Founded in 2012, Heavy Temple did not rocket to the top of the scene. Although band leader High Priestess Nighthawk’s talent and vision were immediately apparent to anyone who saw the band in those early days, it took nine years to hone their craft, five lineup changes, and countless live performances to get Heavy Temple where they are today. And where is that? Signed to Magnetic Eye Records and ready not only to be added to the list of the greatest doom and psychedelic bands that the rich Philadelphia scene has ever produced but–on the strength of their first full-length LP, Lupi Amoris–ready to make a serious case that they may be the best of the bunch.
Lupi Amoris is a must listen to release for any fans of heavy, psychedelic music. Like all great psychedelic doom albums, Lupi Amoris is loaded front to back with awesome riffs. Like the angular intro riff on album opener “A Dessert,” a few of them have a more modern, stoner rock feel. But most of the riffs fall into the classic, crushingly heavy, Black Sabbath-worship bucket.

Obviously, Sabbath worship is well-trodden territory, but Heavy Temple does a lot to keep the sound exciting and engaging. The riffs themselves, while hitting all of the stylistic points that lovers of the genre want, feel fresh with an incredible sense of movement. And around the core of killer riffs, the band weaves a ton of other influences, classic and modern. Keeping things psychedelic are layers of synthesizers and effects-laden guitar parts (both lead and textural). And weaving it all together are High Priestess Nighthawk’s powerful, deep vocals.

But more important than any of these individual elements is how Lupi Amoris brings them together with incredible songwriting and arranging. So many bands in the stoner and doom scenes lay claim to their music being psychedelic either solely based on the fact that they play in those genres or because they use tons of echo, delay, and other effects. But to make truly great psychedelic music, the band has to write and arrange psychedelic songs, a much more difficult task. Heavy Temple has mastered this rare skill. And a handful of deftly executed tempo changes ensure that things never stay too slow for too long.
Although the whole album is great, the standout track is the lead single, “The Maiden.” Starting with a great, tension-building intro that masterfully uses open, empty compositional space, the song explodes into a killer 12/8 chop, propelled forward by Nighthawk’s bass playing and drummer Baron Lycan. The driving rhythm provides the perfect tableau for Nighthawk’s wailing vocals and killer riffing and soloing from guitarist Lord Paisley. After a brilliant crescendo with layered, dueling guitar solos, the song slams into a slow, heavy doom outro. Brilliant stuff that feels both classic and innovative at the same time.

This writer unconditionally recommends Lupi Amoris to any lover of heavy, psychedelic music. Check it out now! - Metal Injection

The first proper album from Heavy Temple sees the Philadelphia power trio in a rather interesting position. Aside from featuring a new lineup of players behind bassist/vocalist High Priestess Nighthawk, Lupi Amoris (Magnetic Eye Records) doesn’t seem too different from the two EPs released before it. It isn’t that much longer than those EPs, consisting of five tracks totaling thirty-three minutes long, and is executed in a similarly free-flowing Heavy Psych style.

However, the musicianship immediately stands out from its predecessors as the performances here come with considerably more gumption. The bass often establishes the pacing with solidly anchored lines and the vocals consist of ethereal howls above it all, allowing the other two to go crazy in between. The guitars provide a mix of weighted rhythms and extensively psychedelic leads while the drums put in some extra hustle along with some looser patterns. It certainly feels like their heaviest iteration, even if it still draws from the same template.

This loose-heavy approach also plays out in the songwriting. The structures are quite jam-oriented as just about every track features some sort of extended introduction, culminating in “Howling Of A Prothalamion” closing the album as a full instrumental. It makes for a cohesive whole though I must admit that individual tracks are a little trickier to feel out. “A Desert Through The Trees” does start things off with some of that hustle early on while “The Wolf” and “Isabella (With Unrelenting Fangs)” make the most of those tripped-out textures, but the bookending synth sounds on “Howling Of A Prothalamion” help it stand out the most.


True to the aspiration of reaching their first full-length after years of development, Lupi Amoris is the best representation of Heavy Temple’s Heavy Psych sound so far. While the trio’s songwriting may still need a little more finetuning to really pop, the performances’ increased power carries the songs quite nicely. I would’ve loved to see the band follow the more Traditional Doom-style that High Priestess Nighthawk brought to her Woman Of Doom contribution last year, but this should sit well with fans of Ruby The Hatchet and Howling Giant. - Ghost Cult Magazine