Reviews

Desert Sun Releases New Album "Heavens Fall"

The Metalverse

Aug 3, 2024 — 4 min read

Desert Sun - "Heavens Fall"

Tracks

Violent Room
Riverside
Inside
Heavens Fall
Shallow Days
Blood Shot Eyes
Time
Watching Over You
Hold Your Breath
Woke Up This Morning
Fly On
Break The Silence
Left Here Alive
Rain
Last Goodbye

Review

Reigning from Birmingham, UK, Desert Sun just released their 2nd album, "Heavens Fall" on July 22. The 2 piece band is comprised of members Steve Cumberland (vocals, guitars, & drums) and Benn Gray (bass). "Heavens Fall" was self-produced at Desert Sun's studio.

Introducing the album in an electrifying fashion "Violent Room" starts off with heavy-hitting guitar lead riffage and energetic drumming. Steve Cumberland's vocals kick in and his sing-screaming vocal style reminds of nostalgic classic heavy metal. Distorted guitar-driven instrumentals create a bright and melodic atmosphere while dynamic singing fills in the atmosphere with a mix of the melody of hard rock and the intensity of heavy metal.

"Riverside" starts off with a bending guitar intro and a thrashing tempo that blasts out the gate with a rush of speed and power. Desert Sun switches it up in the chorus, transitioning to strong vocal hooks and a more rock-influenced sound. "Riverside" does an expert job of creating contrast between verses and choruses showing a diverse array of genre influences that mix destruction and melody in a way that keeps things interesting. After a soaring guitar solo, the song slows into a gentle bridge that builds with gentle drumming and distant guitar leads before launching into an onslaught of metal riffage.

The 3rd track "Inside" starts with progressive gusto as clean guitar and bass tapping creates an ambient atmosphere behind Cumberland's singing. In an eruption of contrast, "Inside" catapults the listener into an upbeat and energetic distortion-driven chorus with powerful singing. Masterfully utilizing shifts in dynamics to create interesting and memorable sections of the song, "Inside" is one of our favorite tracks of the album.

The album's title track, "Heavens Fall" builds with clean guitar and soft singing before bursting into distorted guitar and vibrant vocals that create a catchy chorus. Desert Sun pays homage to beloved bands like Tool, with their sound that mixes progressive rock and heavy metal, while still staying unique and creating a distinctly modern sound. We love how Desert Sun can create a nostalgic 90s - 2000s vibe all while still feeling fresh and wildly interesting.

"Shallow Days" starts with a fuzzy, grunge guitar tone and melancholy vocals, forming a gentle yet ambient atmosphere. Desert Sun jumps into action with powerful guitars and distant phasers while singing lays down deeply attractive melodies. "Shallow Days" takes a more dramatic sound that reminds us of 90s grunge like Soundgarden, slowing things down while continuing to create full and varied soundscapes. Clocking in at nearly 7 minutes, "Shallow Days" takes the listener on a powerful sonic journey.

"Blood Shot Eyes" speeds things up, jumping into things right away with hard-hitting guitar leads and dramatic vocals. Desert Sun creates an upbeat, energetic, and intensely catchy song with "Blood Shot Eyes". After a shredding guitar solo the song throws the listener into a final chorus before a fierce guitar outro takes the stage.

"Time" slows things down, bringing back a more experimental and progressive instrumental sound. Ambient clean guitar melodies work alongside gentle singing and distant pads to create a calm yet powerful atmosphere. "Time" is a 2-minute track that acts as an intermission that still keeps your attention between full-length tracks.

"Watching Over You" kicks in with bright cymbal crashes and building drums before moving into a shining chorus with robust guitar and strong singing vocals injected with melody. Desert Sun slows the pace with a clean bridge, creating contrast before starting an exciting build-up that launches into a final chorus.

The 8th song, "Hold Your Breath" starts off with melancholy clean guitar, and multiple vocal tracks, creating hauntingly melodic vocal harmonies. Desert Sun showcases diverse musical talent as "Hold Your Breath" displays an acoustic sound that soon launches into fully-fledged hard rock with distorted guitars and booming drums. "Hold Your Breath" changes between acoustic and hard rock dynamics which keeps the song exciting as diverse changes in sound keep the listener ready for anything.

"Woke Up This Morning" begins with a brief clean guitar intro before exploding into bright guitar leads, intense vocals, and impactful drumming. Desert Sun's powerful sound that mixes hard rock, progressive rock, and classic heavy metal will be enjoyed by a wide array of rock and metal fans.

"Fly On" brings back the band's acoustic sound, exhibiting more variety in the 15-track album. Cumberland's peaceful singing joins alongside panning guitar melodies to create a gentle sound. "Fly On" splits apart the album with a short 2-and-a-half-minute intermission between harder tracks.

"Break The Silence" brings back grunge-style guitar tones and echoing singing creating an interesting introduction to the track. Desert Sun transitions between progressive verses and choruses with sing-screaming and heavier guitar tones, forming a combination of intensity and melody.

"Left Here Alive" starts with a slower pace that builds in intensity before jumping into electrifying heavy guitar riffs and prominent singing. Desert Sun displays expert song-crafting with huge shifts in energy as heavy instrumentals are diverged by progressive and grungy instrumentals.

"Rain" starts with a funk sound as bouncing bass and guitar rhythms create a groovy and lively musical style. In a dramatic change, Desert Sun launches into a chorus with a more traditional hard rock sound that separates the two styles of music excellently. In a grand finale, "Rain" launches into a fierce guitar outro that takes a more harsh metal sound.

The last song of the LP, "Last Goodbye" introduces itself with acoustic guitar and gentle singing. With only vocals and acoustic guitar, "Last Goodbye" is a calm outro to the album, slowing things down and ending with an emotional song.

The Birmingham act, Desert Sun, creates a nostalgic yet refreshingly modern musical style with their 2nd album, "Heavens Fall". Spanning a multitude of rock and metal genres, Desert Sun creates an exciting sound that is distinct and filled with powerful hard-rock anthems. You can stream "Heavens Fall" on all streaming platforms now!