The seven tracks of this debut EP go for an earnestly earthy approach, with titles like “Whiskey” and “Fuck You” easily getting the atmosphere across even before the music kicks in with its stony guitar tones, heavy drums, and low-yell vocals. Once the music is in full flow, though, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s not much more to it than that, with little variety to the band’s channeling of heavy metal; something of a shame, as a first release tends to be a place for the widest range of experimentation as a band figures out its dynamic.
Instead, Desert Kingdom come off as constricted in their speeds, rhythms, riffs, vocals, and moods, essentially playing the same song six times (”Fuck You” being the outlier, bringing some punk energy reminiscent of Sick Of It All) with minor tweaks outside of the lyrics. Though that’s kind of bold in a certain way, it doesn’t make for interesting listening, or much of a first impression, so hopefully the band will take some time to figure out new approaches before returning to the recording studio.
Scrambled Brains 