Desert Smoke - Desert Smoke

Release Date - 28th March 2025

Label - Raging Planet Records

Words - Chris Fletcher

Hailing from Lisbon’s underrated underground metal scene, Portuguese four-piece Desert Smoke are on a mission to create an instrumental blend of fuzzy, stoner rock and immersive psychedelia that is fit to both hypnotise you and make you bang your head. The band's self-titled second album offers up four tracks that you can really lose yourself in, providing a real ebb and flow.

The first of the four tracks begins with a slow build and noodly guitar before it fully kicks off into a proper stoner jam. It offers a solid groovy foundation for the lead guitars to run wild over - perfect for nodding your head to at a festival. Second track ‘Gravity Absence’ dials the pace back down as it starts another more gradual build. Patient but never pointless it lures you back into headbanging mode before you know what’s hit you.

Whilst everything has been good so far, third track ‘Blind Watcher’ is where things get more interesting. The longest track on the album is where fans of Pink Floyd will really find a home - just under twelve minutes of spaced-out psychedelia that you can’t resist getting carried along with. From here, final track ‘49thSteam Box’ ups the ante with a crunchy guitar tone that drags you out of your trance. Mixing the expansive vibes from ‘Blind Watcher’ with the groovy stoner rock from the first couple of tracks, this song offers a great cocktail of everything the band does well. Also, there are cool lasers.

Fans of Elder and King Buffalo will no doubt find something in here for them, but anyone who appreciates good guitar work should be more than satisfied. There is a lot of excellent lead work layered over the top of these tracks that helps to create a well-textured experience. Songwriting aside, the production job also fits everything perfectly. Nothing is lost and really allows the vision to be realised. 

What the band have managed to create here is a soundtrack to a cosmic trip that you really want to take. Whilst, like most instrumental music, it can be used nicely as a background listen, the true qualities of this record come to the fore with a dedicated headphone listen. Sit back and enjoy the journey.

8/10.