As much as we at Desert Psychlist love the Electric Wizard inspired psychedelic fuzz drenched mayhem delivered by the likes of Sonic Demon, Witchsnake and Demonio we do sometimes hanker for that more expansive desert sound that first turned our head in the direction of Italy's underground scene many moons ago. Thankfully our hankering was assuaged somewhat by an email from Cesena based four piece Desert Collider, Federico C (guitars/synths/backing vocals/FX); Federico G (vocals/Synths; Andrea (drums/percussion) and Manuel (bass/FX), informing us of the release of their debut album "Generation Ship: endless drift through infinity" a delicious blend of sand blasted desert rock, heady psych and strutting heavy rock. Not only were the band informing us of its release they were also asking if we would consider reviewing it, well one listen and our minds were made up, so without further ado here's the review.
Opening number "Orphans of the Sky Part I; Generation Ship" begins spacious and otherworldly with tribal drumming and low liquid bass supporting synth generated whoops whirls, its groove gradually building in intensity until finally erupting into maelstrom of crunching guitar and thunderous drumming anchored by a low and deliciously fuzzy bass line all of which takes us nicely up to the songs halfway mark. The second half of the song is no less impactful but instead of following the more four to the floor pattern of its first half here we get an element of off centredness thrown into the mix which is accompanied by a vocal that is more spoken than sung and moves towards shouted and angry in its later stages. Next song "Floating Hand In Space" opens with heavily filtered vocals singing over a swirling circular space rock flavoured guitar motif then is joined by the bass and drums in thunderous desert rock groove that threatens real damage to the speakers of any device you may be listening on. "Sonic Carver" in its initial stages is a romping stomping desert rocker, with an ear catching vocal melody, played at an almost thrash metal tempo but then midway through transforms into a melodic space blues buoyed by swooning guitar textures and lilting vocal harmonies. "Orphans of the Sky Part II: Disembark" shuffles between heavy doomic bluster and languid psychedelic haziness but does so seamlessly, its vocal in its heavier parts delivered clean forceful and gritty but in its quieter passages shifting to distant hazy and remote. Next we get "ThumpeRRR", a song, much like "Sonic Carver", that is another go for the throat romp but this time a little less desert and a little more heavy rock, albeit heavy rock played at breakneck speed while "Nomads of the Red Sun", an instrumental, finds Desert Collider mixing their synths with acoustic guitars and hand percussion to create a languid campfire jam vibe. The languid feel of the previous track seeps into "Far Centaurus: Drifting without Guidance through Interstellar Space" only this time that lanquidity is enhanced with electric guitars and lilting clean vocals however the songs relaxed feel is soon shattered when the band suddenly launch into a driving desert rock groove, a groove most bands might have opted to take to the close but Desert Collider, not being like most bands, decide to then shift into a torch-like mix of heavy psych and prog. Desert Collider close their account with another of those out and out rockers they are so fond of, this one called "Nebuchadnezzar" a song that for once finishes very much in the manner it began.. furious, fast and fun.
Lovers of desert flavoured rock blended with heavy psych and space rock and are not averse to some synthesised whoops whirls squiggles and squawks will find Desert Collider's "Generation Ship: endless drift through infinity" right up their proverbial alley, it is an album that delivers on levels that haven't even been built yet
Check 'it out ...
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