It feels as though Desert Storm have always been around. In conversation regarding album recommendations or gateway bands for stoner and sludge metal, they’re always up there with the likes of Mastodon, Crowbar, and Orange Goblin. They are arguably one of the finest exports the UK scene has to offer; there are not many similar bands that have possessed the same level of staying power as the Oxford-based outfit over the last 19 years.
The band also benefit from a refusal to simply sit back and churn out the same sludgy riffs over and over – and to be honest, even if they did, it would probably still make for a good album. But that’s not Desert Storm; they like to evolve and provide a bit more than expected with every new release. Their latest album, Buried Under The Weight Of Reason, brings the next stage of this evolution. They’ve broadened the spectrum of what they can do, pushing boundaries in all directions and showing a softer side that sits alongside the primal heaviness they’re known for.
That softer side doesn’t rear its head right away; this is still a Desert Storm album, so if you want heavy, you’re going to get it. That’s exactly what opener “Newfound Respect” delivers. The song brings newfound vocal depths – quite literally – from vocalist Matt Ryan, who seems to have summoned a more guttural, heavy growl from the abyss to meet the sludge riffs head-on. The scene is set, and “Shamanic Echoes” immediately ups the ante. A nice psychedelic groove lures you in before it breaks down into a fuzzy wall of sound that never loses a beat. It’s also the first time there’s a bit of let-up and breathing room, with space for something almost atmospheric halfway through. Coming off the back of those seven-plus minutes is “Woodsman”, a real standout track where the band let the music truly open up. The song builds from a gentle acoustic guitar opening that gives way to a heavy, doom-laden sludge assault, signalled by the shift from subtle to crushing drums. The vocals follow this path as well, with clean passages giving way to grit as the feeling builds.
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“Cut Your Teeth” serves up some of the best guitar work on the album; the second half of the song has a real Deep South sludge vibe reminiscent of early Down or Crowbar. The guitar is out on its own—psychedelic but with a real heavy edge. “Rot To Ruin” is the longest song on the album, taking you on a journey through classic stoner and sludge, punctuated by lulls of acoustic soft spots and false endings that lead you back in to be pummelled by the weight of the bass and drums. The sub-two-minute instrumental “Carry The Weight” acts as a tension-building precursor to the relentless aggression of “Dripback”, a song which doesn’t give you time to get onboard as it frantically barks, pounds, and riffs its way from start to finish.
The penultimate song, “Law Unto Myself”, has a real groove about it. Never mind the pit, you could almost get on the dancefloor for this one. There’s something very Sabbath-esque to it, specifically the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath era. Finally, things are brought to a close in a full-circle moment with “Twelve Seasons”. The album started heavy and powerful, and it goes out the same way, but with some clean vocals thrown into the mix to show off yet more range from Ryan just as the curtain falls.
Buried Under The Weight Of Reason gives you what you want, what you need, and things you didn’t even know you wanted. It carries all the weight of a Desert Storm album – all the doom, the metal, and the sludge – but it’s also open and a bit vulnerable, both musically and emotionally. It feels as though the band have always been around, but never quite like this.
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Buried Under The Weight Of Reason is out March 6th
Header image by Tim Finch Photography
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