Desert Dragon
Before the Storm
Sliptrick Records
2016
I feel kinda confused regarding this album. Although it has various wonderful tracks, it mixes several music styles together and the final outcome is not as cohesive as it should be. I mean it’s OK to be influenced by other music kinds but having tracks that are not musically close to the band’s sound is not so.
Desert Dragon is a US based band formed in 2010 by guitarist & songwriter Greg Patnode. “Before the Storm” is the band’s sophomore release after the homonymous album which was released in 2010. In 2014 there was a singer change and Joseph Michael (Witherfall, Midnight Reign, ex-White Wizzard) stepped in. Nonetheless Joseph is a gifted vocalist and his performances in the album are simply amazing.
Musically, “Before the Storm” is an amalgam of rock, classic rock, hard rock, melodic rock, classic heavy metal and melodic metal. Add a few blues-rock touches and several atmospheric & psychedelic elements to that and you have an idea of what this album is all about.
I fancy the way the album opens with the instrumental “Desert Dragon”… cuz honestly, you do not have a clue how things turn up after that! I won’t go on a track by track analysis but believe me there are tracks here for every mood and taste. “Before the Storm” is an utterly diverse album. I also do believe that the atmospheric rock/metal tracks fit them better and it’s there where they should be focused on their next albums. The other tracks are fine too but the atmospheric & melodic metal side of the band is simply magnificent. They can make a name for themselves easily if they take care of such minor things. For instance, they need to place more emphasis on the music elements that make them “look” and “sound” stronger and more confident. Listen to “Save My World”, “Desert Horizons”, “Flying High” & “My Sunshine” so as to have a hint of what I’m talking about.
The album was mixed by James “Jimbo” Barton (Rush, Queensryche, Eric Clapton, Metallica, etc.). The three re-recorded songs from their debut album (“Desert Dragon”, “Save My World” & “Take It Easy”) were re-mixed by producer & mixer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO, Michael Schenker, Bonded By Blood).
Bottom line is that “Before the Storm” is quite a pleasing album on the whole. I do think that their next album will be “crucial” for them in general… so I’d like to think that they will follow the way that fits them the best…
Desert Dragon is a US based band formed in 2010 by guitarist & songwriter Greg Patnode. “Before the Storm” is the band’s sophomore release after the homonymous album which was released in 2010. In 2014 there was a singer change and Joseph Michael (Witherfall, Midnight Reign, ex-White Wizzard) stepped in. Nonetheless Joseph is a gifted vocalist and his performances in the album are simply amazing.
Musically, “Before the Storm” is an amalgam of rock, classic rock, hard rock, melodic rock, classic heavy metal and melodic metal. Add a few blues-rock touches and several atmospheric & psychedelic elements to that and you have an idea of what this album is all about.
I fancy the way the album opens with the instrumental “Desert Dragon”… cuz honestly, you do not have a clue how things turn up after that! I won’t go on a track by track analysis but believe me there are tracks here for every mood and taste. “Before the Storm” is an utterly diverse album. I also do believe that the atmospheric rock/metal tracks fit them better and it’s there where they should be focused on their next albums. The other tracks are fine too but the atmospheric & melodic metal side of the band is simply magnificent. They can make a name for themselves easily if they take care of such minor things. For instance, they need to place more emphasis on the music elements that make them “look” and “sound” stronger and more confident. Listen to “Save My World”, “Desert Horizons”, “Flying High” & “My Sunshine” so as to have a hint of what I’m talking about.
The album was mixed by James “Jimbo” Barton (Rush, Queensryche, Eric Clapton, Metallica, etc.). The three re-recorded songs from their debut album (“Desert Dragon”, “Save My World” & “Take It Easy”) were re-mixed by producer & mixer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO, Michael Schenker, Bonded By Blood).
Bottom line is that “Before the Storm” is quite a pleasing album on the whole. I do think that their next album will be “crucial” for them in general… so I’d like to think that they will follow the way that fits them the best…