Album Review: Desert Storm – Death Rattle (APF Records)

Oxford, UK, progressive sludge/groove metal band Desert Storm are back with their brand-new album, Death Rattle. Out on March 31st, 2023, via APF Records.

It’s a riff-heavy and groovy start to this new Desert Storm album as they begin things in exciting fashion with Master of None. A chunky beat, enigmatic riffing, gruff vocals, and an overall head-banging heaviness that is super pleasing to the ears. Desert Storm are back and sounding better than ever.

Having blown minds with that opening track, it’s on to something more vast and grander with Cheyne Stoking. A touch of melody, pounding drum beats, and clean vocals spread like weeds through the undergrowth of the mind. Desert Storm turning the tone intensely in an instant and proceeding to take the listener on a journey of progressive groove and powerful heaviness across its near 8-minute runtime. A fantastic track.

Take a deep breath, we’re only two tracks in and Desert Storm aren’t even close to being done with us yet. Taking their time with the stirring melody at the start of Bad Trip, before sending the mind careening into depths that suck the air from the lungs as you fall. Calling this heavy is an understatement.

Then it’s one of the weirder, but still filthy sounding, tracks of the album with Melatone. Before Salt of the Earth sees Desert Storm deliver an electrifying mix of melody, atmosphere, and meaty groove. The vocals are immense on this track.

Delivering something with a peppier pace and plenty of aggressive riffs, Druid’s Health crash and smashes its way through the soft parts of the mind. A mid-point melodic tone switch is particularly delightful as it leans into a trippy sounding environment.

How about the groove monster that is Insomniac though? If this doesn’t make you shake, nothing will. Even with the unusual dark and moody atmospheric turn it takes around the halfway point. It’s this level of creativity that continues to excite as the album reaches its final stages.

A stage made up of the abrasive noise miscreation that is Self Deprecation and the oddity that is New Dawn. Two more excellent examples of Desert Storm’s imagination running wild on this record. A record that is exceptionally listenable and will continue to get play after play as the year goes on.

Desert Storm – Death Rattle Track Listing:

1. Master Of None
2. Cheyne Stoking
3. Bad Trip
4. Melatone
5. Salt Of the Earth
6. Druid’s Heath
7. Insomniac
8. Self Deprecation
9. New Dawn

Links

Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | APF Records