Review: Desert Wave ‘Deafening Silence’
‘We are mainly an instrumental band because none of us can sing well, but we wanted to give an attempt to make our music more usable’ says Andrea ‘Drugo’ Vetri, drummer with Vicenza, Italy three-piece psych stoner rockers Desert Wave. It took them five years to get back into the studio to record the follow-up to 2017s instrumental Lost In Dunes.
That’s five years to give their sound some heavier timbre than on their debut which was steeped in desert session ballads and, in places, also reminded me of the exciting and healthy riffs of Black Sabbath. Although their new album, Deafening Silence, was born during the pandemic, it doesn’t feel much of that lockdown pain as there is a desire to escape and seek refuge through moments of sweet serenity.
Vocalists Luca ‘Logan’ Adamati, who also plays bass and synth, affirms the moments of ‘I don’t know where we’re going and when all this will finish’. The sound throughout the nine tracks is more full-bodied, heavy and exudes a feeling that is sometimes cathartic and sometimes ready to fight and challenge the unaware. The first two tracks, Outside Pt. 1 and Outside Pt. 2, release the slow, quasi cinematic landscape sensation that captures vibrations of desert guitar riffs and bluesy vocals. There is a hustle and bustle of the sonics fighting until a moment of soulful predominance is captured in the stratospheric background.
With Deafening Silence, Desert Wave have defined their sound with true psych and stoner rock characteristics…
The title track, Deafening Silence, is fuelled with a Hawkwind space rock vibe capable of being transported to their desert world made of sandy dunes and Blade Runner images. The heavy bassline and drumming on Vortex resonate with desperate doom that’s ready to free itself on the following track Venus Chains which, once broken, will change your life forever. The closing tune, Endless Night, is imbued with a satanic Sabbath-esque dark world whose graveyard belongs to the space vampires who roam the, ahem, endless night.
With Deafening Silence, Desert Wave have defined their sound with true psych and stoner rock characteristics and it’s an album that centres, not only on musical quality but also songwriting. However, with a more elaborate production, their follow-up will surely hit that mountain top close to their Rochester, NY guardian angel, King Buffalo. You may have witnessed Deafening Silence, but for certain, you can’t ignore their overwhelming thunderous noise.
Label: Independent
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo
