TRACK PREMIERE: Desert Storm, "Pain, Grief & Suffering"

UK sludge quintet DESERT STORM have been making a name for themselves since they formed in late 2007. From the beginning the band have worked hard, with four albums and relentless touring of the UK & Europe with the likes of Karma To Burn, Nashville Pussy, Peter Pan Speedrock… and appearances at Bloodstock Festival, Hammerfest, Hard Rock Hell, Desertfest London and Berlin & Roadkill Festival. 

In early 2018, the band released their fourth album 'Sentinels’ to much acclaim and would see them forge a new relationship with upcoming  label APF Records.  Having spent much of the proceeding years on stage in support of the album, as well as members going to form the band The Grand Mal and releasing their debut (also on APF Records), the band somehow managed to enter the studio again in late 2019 and will return on 1st May 2020 with their fifth album 'Omens'. 

While 'Sentinels' was described as their darkest and heaviest record to date, 'Omens' sees DESERT STORM reaching a whole new level in terms of songwriting and storytelling. The five piece have found the balance between their trademark menacing sludge anthems and introspective, melody-driven moments. DESERT STORM’s new album ‘Omens’ out May 1st on APF Records and you can PREORDER now.  You can also check out the brand new track “Pain, Grief & Suffering” below, so turn your stereo up to 11 and watch your speakers die.

Matt Ryan had the following to say about the track "Pain, grief, and suffering" is that place where you are numbed to everything and so disassociated with life that you crave hurt just to feel alive. When you are completely lost, only the hardest emotions can make you feel again.”

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp || Twitter || Instagram

TOUR NEWS: Desert Storm announce UK Tour dates in August with direct support from Limb

 

It probably doesn’t need to be said but I’ll say it again, Desert Storm are one of our favourite bands currently from the UK, their blend of blues based stoner jams has won them a whole range of fans and admirers within the scene. We originally reviewed their superb debut album “Forked Tongues” back in 2011and every subsequent release thereafter has been louder, heavier and more kick ass than the last, indeed their latest full length “Omniscient” was no different, a must have album. Plain and simple.  No strangers to the road, Desert Storm are set to head out on a 5 date UK tour sponsored by yours truly, in conjunction with Buried In Smoke and Sleeping Eye.  Adding further weight to these impending live rituals, Limb will act as direct support.  

Make no mistake this is a tour not to be missed.  You can catch them on the following dates

Wed 16^th Aug – London, The Black Heart

Thurs 17th Aug – Manchester, Rebellion

Fri 18^th Aug – Glasgow, Nice’N’ Sleazy

Sat 19^th Aug – Leicester, The Firebug

Sun 20^th Aug – Milton Keynes, The Crawford Arms

Limb: Facebook | BandCamp

Desert Storm: Facebook || BandCamp

Desert Storm + Mother Corona - 'Omniscient Euro Tour' Part One

By:  Aaron Pickford

Oxford based riff hounds Desert Storm have been making a name for themselves since they formed in 2007. From the beginning the band have worked hard...with 3 albums and a demo and relentless touring of the UK & Europe with the likes of Karma To Burn, Nashville Pussy, Peter Pan Speedrock, Honky (ft members of Down/Melvins/Butthole Surfers) as well as support slots to the likes of Orange Goblin, Red Fang, American Head Charge and festival appearances at The Bulldog Bash, The Desertfest, Brisfest & Roadkill (BEL).

January 26^th  2015 saw  the worldwide release date for the new record 'Omniscient' (Blindsight records- distro by Code 7 via PHD) which we called  ’..a must have album.'

Since their inception 2015 is arguably their most successful to date and the band have just embarked on a mammoth Euro tour with their buds from Mother Corona.  As sponsors for the tour, we asked the dudes from Desert Storm if they’d be down for putting together a tour diary.  So here it is, part one. Be sure to check out this tour if it hits your town.    

Band info: Official | Facebook | BandCamp

The Sludgelord Presents: Riff Fest, August 29th @ The Alma Inn, Bolton (UK)

“With Riff Fest every band has been booked because we love them and believe in them. As long as the band has got a heavy, catchy riff then it’s cool. I’m very keen to stress, that all these bands could headline the event in our eyes.” – Adam Swarbrick

It’s a Sunday evening and, with a belly fun of ale, lager or whatever devilish nectar is your poison, the friendly debates shift into gear. Enthusiastic shouts of ‘that’s the best riff ever’ and ‘why aren’t that band bigger than they are, their new EP is killer’ and so on reverberate in the pub as dusk draws in.

We all love heavy music and the encompassing scene – indeed, the fact you are even reading this solidifies that notion – but for Adam Swarbick and Jim MacGranthin, the general manager of Bolton’s metallic watering hole The Alma Inn, love wasn’t enough:

“We were sat in the pub talking about the bands we love, great gigs, riffs and so on, as I’m sure we all do. I remember thinking ‘dude, let’s put everything we can into putting on the best show we can’. We planned the first Riff Fest [in 2014] about 9 months in advance, the idea being we’d have more chance of securing all the bands we wanted, being so far in advance. So we got to work, got a pen and paper, and wrote down all our favourite bands from across the UK, fortunately everyone said yes!”

Now preparing to launch its second edition of the festival – a free entry one-dayer featuring some heavy arse and frankly brilliant bands – the event can build on recent success seen around the country. From Desertfest’s continual growth and expansion to Red Sun in Cardiff, Yorkshire Riffer in Leeds and beyond, the scene is in absolute rude health right now. With a large contingent of this year’s line up being local to Manchester and the North West – Ten Foot Wizard, Nomad, Boss Keloid, Eyesaw, Pist, Barbarian Hermit, Mower, Arke & The Hicks – it promises to be a celebration of our area’s finest bludgeonings. That is, of course, alongside the unapologetic stomp of Gurt, Slabdragger and Raging Speedhorn, Trippy Wicked’s…erm…trippy wickedness and more.

So, with such a great line up, why are we allowed in for fuck all?

“I get asked a lot about this,” explains Swarbrick. “It was one of the first things we discussed, it being free. Unfortunately, myself and Jim have, in the past worked really hard to bring good bands here. Depressingly we realised a lot of folk were put off by a meagre entrance fee. So we thought, ‘fuck it! We’ll do it free’ so as to give people no excuse not to attend. We’re very keen on Riff Fest having a party vibe. I think all attendee’s from last year can attest to that. It was utterly rammed.

“The North West has always been a very active hive of great, passionate, hard-working bands. We will always keep local bands on. It’s so important to give the local bands a platform to display themselves on. Mower were first on last year, a relatively new band then. A year on and a lot of people are talking about them and rightly so.”

On the current blossoming of ‘stoner/doom’ festivals across the UK, Adam was quick to wax lyrical about the latest of these, Red Sun. “Red Sun blew me away and I made sure to personally congratulate the guys. They’d worked so hard on creating an independent festival. They succeeded.

“The scene is in good shape, although I must admit personally, I’m not a fan of the term ‘stoner/doom’, I think it covers such a broad spectrum now. In fact I think that’s why we called it something as simple as ‘Riff Fest’ rather than something more specific. As long as the band has got a heavy, catchy riff then it’s cool. We really wanted to book this solo artist on a steel guitar with a slide last year, so we’re quite open to bands style’s when booking. There really is a good support now; it doesn’t seem to be a flash in the pan either, which is obviously great. As long as we all (bands, fans, promoters) keep the faith, we’ll be here for a long time yet.

Obviously, from the punter/media angle, we only see the glory; the beers, the belting bands and the unforgettable, albeit blurry, memories. So what are the biggest challenges of putting on an event like Riff Fest?

“Easy. The running order! Sometimes you go to a gig, and let’s face it, sometimes bands are billed in terms of popularity/how well established they are/how ‘good’ they are. With Riff Fest every band has been booked because we love them and believe in them. I’m very keen to stress, that all these bands could headline the event in our eyes.

And finally, what are the biggest rewards and personally, who are you most looking forward to about this year's event?

“It sounds cheesy, but simply everyone having a great time. It’s coming up 12 months since the last one, people still say ‘dude that was the best day of last year.’ Many people still talk about it, and also how excited they are for this year’s. So that’s all the reward we could ask for.

“Just look at the line-up, it’s gold!”

Words: Phil Weller

For more information:

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/1544541289134935/

The Sludgelord News: DESERT STORM confirm UK tour with Hang The Bastard

DESERT STORM have today confirmed that they'll be hitting the road with Hang The Bastard next month, on a short UK tour. The announcement follows the release of the Oxford riff-hounds' third studio album, entitled Omniscient.

The band commented: "We are stoked to be joining join Hang The Bastard on their UK headline tour next month. We've all been fans of them for a while now and we're sure it's going to be fun run of dates. Come along and catch us at a show!"

UK TOUR DATES SUPPORTING HANG THE BASTARD:

Mon 16 March     Liverpool - Shipping Forecast
Tue 17 March      Milton Keynes - Craufurd Arms
Wed 18 March     Sheffield - Corporation
Fri 20 March        Birmingham - Oobleck
Sat 21 March       Swansea - Sin City

The five piece band entered the studio in 2014, to lay down the tracks for Omniscient with Jamie Dodd at Flesh & Bone Studio, Hackney, before the producer - who counts Orange Goblin among his credits - returned to The Animal Farm studio in south London, where it was mixed.

The follow up to 2013's critically acclaimed 'Horizontal Life', which was mastered by Billy Anderson (Melvins, Sleep, Cathedral) was released on 26th January 2015. What may appear to the untrained eye to be a straight up stoner rock album, has a bluesy depth and at times veers towards a folk-tinged acoustic edge.  The band will be showing off their diversity on stage when they play Desert Fest in London this coming April, alongside the likes of Sleep, Red Fang, and Orange Goblin.

DESERT STORM will appeal to fans of The Sword, Clutch, Down and Torche. 'Omniscient' is their third album - their heaviest, yet most diverse release to date. The band have notched up many high profile support slots over the years, including tours with Karma To Burn and Nashville Pussy.

Omniscient is available digitally via iTunes, or via the Blindsight Records Bandcampdigitally or on CD. Vinyl will follow via Secret Law Recordings

Source: Pioneer Music Press

Find DESERT STORM on the internet:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
WEBSITE
BANDCAMP
INSTAGRAM

The Fourth Round - Desert Storm Returns (New Interview)

It's been a while since we featured UK Blues/Hard Rock/Stoner Metallers – Desert Storm. Well about 7 or months or so when they were about to embark on a massive UK Tour with Stoner Rock Legends – Karma To Burn – and to provide details of their eagerly awaited 3rd album Omniscient

Omniscient is about to be released upon to the world and what an album Desert Storm have created here. It's a stunning mix of Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, Sludge Rock and a hint of Psychedelic Folk. This maybe the album that will turn Desert Storm into one of the UK's best Hard Rock/Stoner Metal bands. These guys deserve a shot at the big time as they have toured extensively over the last 5 years or so. Tours with Karma To Burn and Honky. Plus supporting Red Fang shows you how talented these guys are.

I described Omniscient as:

“Their third full length record sees Desert Storm blending Hard Rock, Blues, Psychedelia, Folk with hard-riffing Sludge tinged grooves. Desert Storm have excelled themselves here while Horizontal Life was a great album for the guys, it was a little bloated at times. Though that is not the case here as Desert Storm have released an album that builds upon what came before it and only enhances their well deserved reputation.

I don't know what more I can say about the album. I think I have covered all the bases here. The album does sound incredible from start to finish. Legendary Producer - Billy Anderson - has mastered this bad-boy so you know it's gonna sound fresh, loud and crisp. He gives Desert Storm sound such a dynamic feel that makes you feel you're seeing the band perform live in the comfort of your own home.

My final thoughts on the album - Well, what do you think? - Omniscient is a testament to Desert Storm's talents for delivering another great album to impress people with. It sees the band turning into one the UK's finest Hard Rock/Stoner Metal Bands we currently have to offer at the moment. On this form, who is going to stop them? Omniscient is a must have album. Plain and simple.”

Desert Storm have kindly agreed to another interview with me. Can you believe my 4th interview with them over the years. You can read the previous interviews below.

Interview1, Interview 2, Interview 3

So if you want to find out about the history of the band then please read the other interviews. As this interview will be focusing on the last 8 months or so of life with this hard-rocking band. Matt (Vocals), Chris White (Guitar) and Ryan Cole (Guitar) are back to talk to us here at Sludgelord HQ.

Q1 – Hi guys. How are things with you all today.

Good thanks!

Q2 – So you're new album Omniscient is about to be released. So are you excited, nervous or thrilled what people are going to make of it.

Matt R - Bloody relieved to be honest. We've been sitting on this for too long.

Chris W - A mixture of all of them. Every new release is a bit of a jump into the unknown, a lot of people say that they don’t care about reviews or what people think, but really everyone does, you want to know that people enjoy what you produce!

Q3 – Was it a hard or easy album to write and record for. As you have a lot of different sounds going on with the album.

Chris W - We have taken that approach with all of the releases so far, so it’s something that we are constantly trying to tweak and refine to get the right balance, in some ways it gets easier as your experience grows, however you are constantly being exposed to new influences so there are always new things to work on!

Q4 – It's very different to your last album – Horizontal Life. It seems more focused and more driven. Though I still love Horizontal Life. It seems this album is where every song has a purpose with a beginning, middle and end. Was that your intentions before recording the album.

Chris W - We have to make sure every song has a purpose, really that has to be the aim before every release. It’s very difficult because different people will respond and identify with different tracks, you can only hope that find the album as a whole pleasing to listen to and that they find something of value in the whole piece.

Matt R - A small criticism with Horizontal Life was that it was too long, so before hitting the studio we decided on the best songs to feature on Omniscient. We have loads of material and in the past we might have recorded whatever was most ready, this time we thought about the cohesiveness and what we wanted to present. The track ordering is more clean-cut on Omniscient too.

Q5 – What things did you do differently when recording the album. It has a more sombre and heartfelt feel compared to your previous albums.

Chris W - We recorded it all in one go in the period of about a week, on previous releases the process had been stretched over several months depending on our various other commitments. I think doing it in one period has given more coherency to the sound and feel, plus we were considerably more road worn by that point so plenty more real life experiences to draw on!

Q6 – What influenced you when writing and recording the album.

Matt R - There are so many different subject matters coming across in Omniscient, some are bluntly put ideologies and some are lore-ish tales. We have an appreciation for so much that it's difficult to list.

Ryan C - We all listen to lots of music, a lot a bands from the 70's...the classic rock stuff to the sludge/doom/stoner stuff.

Q7 – This is a question for Matt. Matt – your vocals are very different compared to your other albums. On Home – your vocals are more sombre and heartfelt. Whilst on Queen Reefer and Horizon I felt you were venturing into more extreme vocal territory compared to your earlier releases. Did you want to something different on this album. What preparation did you put yourself through when recording the vocals for the album.

Matt R - To be honest I wanted something new and old for Omniscient. Recently I've been thinking what else can be done with my vocals. After spending so long twisting and contorting them to produce the low end gravelly barks, it's been interesting to experiment with new techniques. We'll leave it up to the listeners to decide what works! I actually had a stinking cold during our time in the studio which worked really well for some of the more guttural sections. For the most part we started with getting the cleaner stuff down so I didn't ruin my voice too early before moving on to the throat shredding vocals. In terms of prep, it was practising thoroughly and warming up. Vocal pastels, water and proper food. I smoked whilst recording Horizontal Life too which didn't make it easy. All lyrics to hand in the studio for reference and generally a cleaner or more professional approach to being in the booth.

Q8 – Why did you choose the name Omniscient for the title of your album.

Matt R - I didn't. Can't even pronounce it.

Ryan C - well we had a few ideas, I personally think the best idea was 'Shield' but Benoist was was like 'oh people will think it's a gulf war reference'...we get that a lot anyway, so I don't know why he was so bothered really....in the end the other album names were pretty shit, so we all thought this was the best we had, and the meaning of the word is pretty cool too.

Q9 – So the album is being released on DD/CD via Blindsight Records. Was it an easy decision to go with Blindsight once again to release the album. Did you have any other offers from labels to release your album.

Matt R - Blindsight worked really hard for us on Horizontal Life so we decided to work with them again. We have a good working relationship and we're pleased that they've taken on Omniscient.

Ryan C - Yeah Umair at Blindsight is a good guy!

Q10 – Though the album will be released on Vinyl through Secret Law Records later in 2015. Can you give us more details about the Vinyl release.

Ryan C - The Vinyl will be a limited run of 300 and will be released on Secret Law Records on Sun 28th April which is when we perform at Desertfest!

Q11 - How important is a physical product to your band being either CD or Vinyl. As some bands are relying on Digital Downloads for their first release(s).

Ryan C - Very important, a lot of people still really like to buy a physical copy be it CD or Vinyl or tape cassette! Also very good for touring as bands rely on selling merch! I love to have a physical copy of my music.

Q12 – You recently completed a mega 2014 UK Tour with Karma To Burn. How did that go. Any funny or exciting stories you can tell us all. It was cool meeting up with you guys in Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Awesome show you put on there.

Ryan C - Thanks, glad you liked it! It was a great tour!

Matt R - Thanks man! That was a slug of a tour as it was 18 dates back to back without a break. Afterwards we all agreed that it could be done again. Once you've survived a couple of weeks on it non stop, you know that you're ready for those longer stints. There were a couple of messy after party nights which were good fun! We almost left Chris W behind on the ferry coming back from the last show in Belfast, I think we were all fairly braindead by that point.. Was great seeing our extended families all around the UK too.

Q13. It seems you have a great friendship with Karma To Burn as you have done previous tours with them over the years. And another short UK tour coming up in April 2015. Have they provided you with any advice or words of wisdom.

Chris W - We have a good friendship with them apart from me and Will. Will hates me and reminded me on a daily basis, it was so relentless I still can’t used to walking into a room and not have him stood there ready to tell me to fuck off. I miss it in a weird way.

Q14 – I know you all have day jobs away from Desert Storm. How hard is it combining the two. It must be hard especially when you have to tour and promote your new album.

Chris W - Touring is our holiday! Every spare minutes we have goes into the band in some way, be it writing, organising, promoting, gigging, rehearsing.

Matt R - It's all down to time management and knowing what we can realistically accomplish in our time off. All our holidays go on the band, weekend shows are no problem, midweek shows are possible but a little more difficult etc. Again, we've pushed it to the extremity before by doing UK tours while working (RE: Nashville Pussy, Honky...) It just results in brief sleep deprivation and exhaustion. We're in agreement that you only live once and we should make the most of being able to while we're still in our 20s.

Q15 – The UK Hard Rock/Stoner/Doom/Sludge Metal Scene is probably more vibrant than ever with tons of great bands starting to appear. Have you noticed this yourselves or do you just focus doing your own thing.

Matt R - Totally, there's such a community for this kinda music in the UK now. It's here in a big way and there's no denying it.

Q16 – Which bands/artists are currently rocking your world. Any bands would you like to recommend to our readers.

Ryan C - I think there are some awesome bands coming out of south Wales - Suns of thunder, Vails, Prosperina, Sigiriya, Hark. Our mates in Mother Corona rock too! Bands like Conan & Bast seem to be getting a lot of recognition too, both great!

Q15 – What is your musical setup when playing live or recording new material. Do you have an advanced setup or basic setup.

Chris W - Live is very basic, usually just guitars straight into amps with very few if no effects. It’s a direct hard hitting sound that’s also practical, there’s just less to go wrong! In the studio there is quite a bit more experimentation as you have time and space to do things there that you could really do live, unless you are playing really large venues.

Q16 – What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it down to one individual or a group collective.

Ryan C - It usually starts around a riff that Chris or myself will write, and we kind of take it from there, jamming and seeing what else happens, and Matt usually writes lyrics to the music....he used to write lyrics in his own time before the music was written, I also felt this worked well lyrically.

Chris W - We will each bring pieces that we have written, then as a group arrange it into a song structure. It remains a very open process so that we don’t have one person walk in and say “This is how it’s going to be”.

Q17 – A question for Ryan. You are involved with Buried In Smoke Promotions. How is that going at the moment. I see you are promoting the tour with Dutch Space Rockers – Monomyth and the forthcoming UK Tour with Karma To Burn. Do you have any other exciting tours coming up. Plus how hard is it running the promotions company in today's UK musical scene.

Ryan C - Yeah got some real cool stuff coming up, we have tours for Karma To Burn, Monomyth (NL), WhiskeyDick and shows booked for Electric Eel Shock (JPN) and Conan! Lots of good stuff in the pipeline, going very well this year it seems. I don't think it's too difficult, but there is always a risk financially! I can be frustrating when bands agents don't reply too. But me and Elliot both really enjoy booking bands we love to listen to and see play ourselves. Find us on facebook to keep on top of the gigs/tours - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Buried-In-Smoke-Promotions/152851731433057

Q18 – Before you go do you have anything to say to your fans.

Ryan C - Cheers for the support, see you at a show!

Matt R - Thanks for all your support and for coming out to the shows, you make it all the more meaningful.

Well guys thanks for this. All the best with your new album, vinyl release and forthcoming tours. I am hoping to see you guys on the tour. Thanks again.

Desert Storm – Thank You!

I want to thank Matt, Chris and Ryan for taking the time out to talk to us again at Sludgelord HQ. We are huge fans of these guys. Their new album Omniscient is available to buy now from Blindsight Records and all good stockists. The Vinyl of Omniscient will be available to buy from Secret Law Records from April 2015.

Words by Steve Howe and Desert Storm.

For More Information

Official

Facebook

BandCamp

The Sludgelord News: SECRET LAW RECORDS TO RELEASE DEBUT OBLIVIONIZED ALBUM AND DESERT STORM LP

2015 may only be a week old but SECRET LAW RECORDS, the brand new label from Hang The Bastard vocalist Tomas Hubbard and friend Ed Coleman, are well underway with their release schedule for the new year, revealing their first of many releases for the next 12 months.

​To kick things off, the Berkshire based label will start with the debut album from London grind trio OBLIVIONIZED. 'Life Is A Struggle, Give Up' is the new full length from the three piece and will be released on LP, CD and digitally through Secret Law. Following a string of splits with the likes of Razoreater and Human Cull, the DIY trio return with ten blasts of blistering grind, crammed into just 28 minutes.

Before that though, Oblivionized head to Portugal for the inaugural Burning Light Festival (7-8 February) alongside the likes of The Secret, Oathbreaker, Bölzer and Old Skin before returning to the UK for a week long tour with French black metal/hardcore experimentalists Plebeian Grandstand. For a full list of dates and more details on the tour click here.

Then in the Spring, Secret Law will be releasing the third album from Oxford riff hounds DESERT STORM on vinyl. Their new effort  Omniscient' was recorded by Jamie Dodd, who was behind the desk for the last two Orange Goblin albums, and will be released on CD and digitally through Blindsight Records on 26th January, with the LP release on Secret Law following a few months later. Until then, you can stream and download two new songs from 'Omniscient', 'Queen Reefer' and 'Sway Of The Tides', on the Terrorizer website. 

You can read our review here

More details on both releases are due in the coming weeks.

To keep up with all the latest news from Secret Law Records, use the links below:

Website: SecretLawRecords.com

Facebook: facebook.com/SecretLawRecords

Twitter: @SecretLawRecs

Source: Mysterious Guy PR

Desert Storm - Omniscient (Album Review)

Album Type: Album

Date Released: 26^th January 2015

Label: Blindsight Records

Omniscient – Track Listing

Outlander

Queen Reefer

Horizon

Sway of The Tides

Home

House of Salvation

Night Bus Blues

Bandwagon

Blue Snake Moan

Collapse of The Bison Lung

Bio

Hard & heavy blues rockers Desert Storm bring gigantic riffs, sludge and blues grooves. In 2010 they released their debut album ‘Forked Tongues’ on Buried In Smoke records. The five piece operation based in Oxford first formed in 2007, hitting the local rock scene with full force. Now having torn up multiple cities across the UK and festivals such as the mighty Bulldog Bash & DesertFest (Camden); on top of an 8 date UK tour with stoner rock cult legends Karma to Burn and support slots to the likes of Orange Goblin, Taint, Black Spiders, Turbowolf Weedeater, Zoroaster, CKY, Winnebago Deal, Firebird they're well underway spreading the NOISE.

Members

Chris White: Guitar

Ryan Cole: Guitar

Chris Benoist: Bass

Elliot Cole: Drums

Matt Ryan: Vocals

Review:

Desert Storm have slowly been building their reputation as one of the UK's finest UK Hard Rock/Blues/Stoner Metal Bands over the last few years or so. Tours with Karma To Burn, Honky and Nasville Pussy, have taken these hard-edged rockers the width and breath of Europe and most recently an acclaimed tour with Stoner Rock legends - Karma To Burn. It helps they have released two acclaimed albums - Forked Tongues and Horizontal Life - which showed a band willing to change their sound with each release. Two years on from Horizontal Life, Desert Storm return with Omniscient.

Their third full length record sees Desert Storm blending Hard Rock, Blues, Pyschedelia, Folk with hard-riffing Sludge tinged grooves. Desert Storm have excelled themselves here while Horizontal Life was a great album for the guys, it was a little bloated at times. Though that is not the case here as Desert Storm have released an album that builds upon what came before it and only enhances their well deserved reputation.

Opening track - Outlander - is a 3-minute blast of high voltage classic style Desert Storm riffage. It is a fast-paced affair with Matt's vocals unleashing a furious style of passion and aggression. Then the trademark Desert Storm blues based Stoner Rock riffs kick in and it feels like you are meeting an old friend you have not seen in years and you start remembering the good times in your life. Up next is the track - Queen Reefer - that is already starting to win praise within the Hard Rock/Stoner Rock community. Desert Storm blends NOLA-esque Swamp rhythms with loud doses of Blues Rock for one of the albums standout tracks. Lead Vocalist Matt - is once again the perfect embodiment of calm and fury as he unleashes a torrent of emotions that gives the album a real volatile edge.

The song-writing has gone up a notch here as Desert Storm have written some great lyrics to sing-along to. The song has some soaring psychedelic guitar solos for you to check out. Fans of Down and Pantera will get a kick out of this track. Drummer - Elliott - even manages to get a few great drum solos in there himself and what an impression he makes once again. I rate Elliot as one of the best drummers within the UK Hard Rock scene. He pounds the heck out of those drums on the album, none more so than here. Third track - Horizon - carries on the heavy riffing style of the first two tracks, which will more than get your rocking along to. It starts as a more slow-paced affair with Matt singing some of the heaviest vocals of his career so far. It verges almost on death based growls. I have not heard Matt sing like this before. It is great to see him expanding his vocal capabilities on this album as he puts himself through a lot of pain.

I have praised Matt and Elliot's talents already and what they bring to Desert Storm. It's only fair that I mention Chris B, Ryan and Chris W as they all bring their "A" game to the table to make Omniscient such a heavy and pounding experience for you all to witness and survive from. Tracks such as Horizon and Sway Of The Tides - carry on the finely tuned Blues/Sludge/Stoner Rock vibes that came before it. However, Sway Of The Tides makes the lasting impression as the best track on the album. It's a heavy powerhouse packed full of great vocals and musicianship with Desert Storm venturing more into their psychedelic roots for one hazy and intense ride.

The album takes a different turn and style for the next track with the sombre and moody acoustic track - Home. It is a simply played track with a haunting acoustic guitar with Matt in more reflective mood compared against the heavier and angrier songs. Some people may criticize this song for being "lighter/mobile phone in the air" material. Trust me when I say it is much more than that as it is an emotionally charged track that has shades of classic Americana Rock.

Well if that song does not do anything for you then do not worry as Desert Storm return to the world of heavy based Blues/Stoner/Sludge rock carnage to damage your hearing to. House Of Salvation, Night Bus Blues and Blue Snake Moan are just some of the main highlights from the 2nd half of the album where the band unleash more of the same superb psych based riffs with some folk based influences showing up along the way. 

I don't know what more I can say about the album. I think I have covered all the bases here. The album does sound incredible from start to finish. Legendary Producer - Billy Anderson - has mastered this bad-boy so you know it's gonna sound fresh, loud and crisp. He gives Desert Storm sound such a dynamic feel that makes you feel you're seeing the band perform live in the comfort of your own home.

My final thoughts on the album - Well, what do you think? - Omniscient is a testament to Desert Storm's talents for delivering another great album to impress people with. It sees the band turning into one the UK's finest Hard Rock/Stoner Metal Bands we currently have to offer at the moment. On this form, who is going to stop them? Omniscient is a must have album. Plain and simple.

Thanks to Blindsight Records for the Promo. Omniscient will be available to buy on CD/DD via Blindsight Records from 26th January 2015.

Words By Steve Howe

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Another Interview with Desert Storm

Maybe I don't need to do an introduction for today's guests as they have already been featured on the blog multiple times. This will be the 3^rd interview that I will be carrying out with one of the UK's finest Stoner Rock bands.

Why I am interviewing a band for the 3^rd time. Well they have an exciting 6 months coming up or so.

• Eagerly Awaited 3^rd album.
• Another epic UK/IRE Tour with Karma To Burn.

So ladies and gentlemen here is Desert Storm. If you want to read the other interviews I did with the guys. Here and Here.

Q1 – Hi guys. Thanks for doing this. How are things with you all today.

Good thanks!

Q2 – Been a while since we featured you. Thought it was best to see how you guys were doing. So have things changed with Desert Storm over the last 12 months or so.

Yes. We are about to release our third album 'Omniscient' which was recorded and mixed by Jamie Dodd that did the last Orange Goblin album. Still looking for a label...but hopefully be out for the Karma To Burn UK/IRE Tour in August.

Q3 – It's been a year or so since Horizontal Life was released upon to the world. Did the response from fans and critics surprise you. As it got some major praise. Were you expecting that.

We are happy with the album, and were all really pleased with the response. Hopefully people will enjoy the new release as we all feel the material and production is a big step up.

Q4 – Looking back on “Horizontal Life” would you change anything about it. If so, what would you change about it.

Maybe it was a bit long and self indulgent in places...but overall we're still very proud of what we achieved.

Q5 – You have just finished or still recording your 3^rd album. How was the recording of that album. Was it different compared to Horizontal Life.

Yes the album is completely finished. Just waiting on artwork and a label to put it out. This time around we chose another engineer, and decided to record in London with Jamie Dodd, who has worked on the last Orange Goblin record...and I believe he is doing their new one as well.

The main difference this time was we recorded it all in one week, rather than weekends over a few months...we feel it sounds more coherent this way.

Q6 – What can we expect from the album. And when will it be released.

I think it's our heaviest album so far, but there is still plenty of the blues/groove stuff and a few other surprises. Hopefully it will be out for Fri 15th Aug...the first show on the UK/IRE Tour and in our home town.

Q7 – Is it a different style of sounds compared to Horizontal Life.

The sounds are similar, but a slightly different blend to what is on Horizontal Life. I think it has captured our live sound better as well.

Q8 – You have a massive UK/IRE Tour with Karma To Burn coming up. How did that come about as you did something similar in 2012.

Well me & Elliot run buried in smoke promotions and are Karma To Burn's UK booking agents...so why not put us on the tour as support and give ourselves some good exposure ;)

Q9 – What can people expect on the tour.

CARNAGE - RIFFS, BEER, SWEAT, BLOOD, MORE SWEAT....MAYBE SOME LADIES...PROBABLY NOT THOUGH...MORE BEER!

Q10 – Which bands and artists influenced you as musicians. Any particular band or album that stand out.

Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top. Clutch, Karma To Burn, Orange Goblin, Tool, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Down, Pantera, Metallica, BB King, Slayer, Black Flag, Isis, Torche, Neurosis, Weedeater, Rage Against The Machine, Jerry Douglas, Clive Carroll, Honky, Peter Pan Speedrock, Zeke, The Sword, Sleep, High on Fire, Red Fang, Alter Bridge, Exodus, Megadeth, Korn, Limp Bizkit, NWA, Dr Dre, Massive Attach, Eminem, Venetian Snares, Task Force, Sepultura, Foreign Beggars, the list goes on.....

Desert Storm with HONKY

Q11 – How big of a help has BandCamp and the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community been in promoting your music.

Bandcamp has been great, we seem to sell a fair bit of music through that site... doom/sludge/stoner metal community has been good...although I don't think we fit in 100% as we are more of a blues/metal band...with elements of stoner/sludge, I guess there is enough of a crossover that some stoner/doom fans get it...but not everyone does.

Q12 – I know I have asked you this question previously but what is your verdict on the current state of the UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene. It has been thriving over the last few years. Can you see this continuing or do you see a natural decline when you're performing gigs at home or on the road.

I guess it's strong, there are a lot of good bands out there that are working hard, it's a shame a lot of venues are closing and promoters calling it a day, we (buried in smoke) don't promote as regularly as we did because we kept losing money, people always moan about good bands not coming to town...but when they do they don't attend.

Q13 – What is your musical set-up when playing live or recording your music. Any hints and tips would you like to give to the budding musicians out there.

We use Orange, Mesa Boogie, Diesel, Sovtek and Chris goes through a Mark Bass rig...seems to be a powerful sound...so we recommend this gear!

Q14 – We are massive Vinyl Heads here at Sludgelord. Are you vinyl fans yourselves.

Yes we love vinyl, hopefully the new album will be out on vinyl...but it's very expensive to press.

Q15 – What is your verdict on the whole crowd-funding scene. Where bands ask fans to fund their next album. Are you a fan of that platform. Would yourselves ever go down this route.

NO! Total shit, everyone else has to fund it themselves. I don't mind bands doing pre-orders where the person funding has paid for their copy of the album in advance...but bands that just ask for money then expect the fans to buy a copy as well is terrible, especially the bigger bands that have money!

Q16 – This is more of a question for Ryan and Elliot. It seems your promotions company – Buried In Smoke – is still going strong. How is running a promotions company in today's music scene. Is the live music scene thriving or are there still issues with people not turning upto shows. And does this make it hard for you both to participate with Desert Storm at the same time.

Yeah we still put on killer shows, but not monthly anymore as people don't come out to gigs, and we can't afford to keep losing money. So we are very selective with what we put on now.

Q17 – The last thing before you go, Do you have anything else to say to your fans.

Thanks for all the support, new album out soon. Come see us on tour with Karma To Burn Fri 15th Aug-Mon 1st Sept. Tickets available at www.seetickets.com

Well guys. Thanks for doing this. Always great talking to you guys. Can't wait to hear the new album and to see you with Karma To Burn once more at Newcastle in August 2014.

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Written by Steve Howe