Their debut album, Forked Tongues, showed promise and they nailed it with the follow-up Horizontal Life, but Desert Storm have tried a different tack with this latest offering, switching their nostalgic groove for something more heavy-fisted.
Boasting plenty of bluesy riffs and guttural vocals, both ripped from the book of Orange Goblin, Omniscient is not far from a bog-standard stoner record with the only points of distinction happening in the second half when they dabble with acoustic Americana on Home – a surprising musical moment that resonates with semi-gothic contemplation.
Whether it’s the Thin Lizzy folk twiddle on Outlander or Queen Reefer’s detuned squeal, this Oxford quintet know how to decorate their songs to keep them interesting… but only just. Omniscient isn’t going to set the world on fire, even if the sometimes doomy weight of their new sound is a dark counteract to the otherwise perky world of foot-tapping riffs. It’s their most relatable song that is the most memorable, regaling the perils of missing your ride home on Night Bus Blues.
Via Blindsight
