By DJ Monk
When you hear the term “stoner rock” it is perhaps understandable that your mind conjures up images of windswept Nevadan mesas rather than those of windmills and landscapes painted by Dutch impressionists. But it is the latter in which, despite their name, Desert Colossus are very firmly rooted, hailing as they do from a picturesque municipality just to the north-west of Amsterdam best known for its, erm, windmill museum and Nobel-winning physicists.
Having come to life playing Red Fang and Fu Manchu covers, it is obvious right from the opening chords of ‘Tear Me Down’ that this is the heritage which DC seek to pay homage and respect, evoking the spirit of their legendary precursors, almost to the very note and letter. Not that this means the quartet do not plough their own furrow, as ‘Eyes And Tongues’ is a fresh and vibrant album, rich in its tonality and confident in its delivery: this latter characteristic is hardly surprising as, despite not having crossed our path before, this is actually their third album.
So, let’s put aside the reference points above and concentrate on what we are actually offered. As I said, this is a rich and vibrant album, its depth and density counterpointed by beautifully lightly delivered touches of clarity. The rhythms, led by Tommy Collé’s massive bass sound, crash into you and then wash over you, totally immersing you, soaking you thoroughly in their broiling, rolling waves of aural hypnotism. The guitars then wrap themselves around you, embracing you in both the power of their riffs and the richness of their melodies, while Frank Zoomer’s vocals show a breadth which perfectly complements the diversity of the sounds which are interwoven into the fabric of the album’s being. To demonstrate this diversity, ‘Null’ heavily references the sound of the Foo Fighters, while ‘Wicked Man’ might be the result of an acid-fuelled jam between fellow countrymen Focus and Golden Earring!
Despite being only seven tracks, ‘Eyes…’ is an epic album: only one of the songs, aforementioned opener ‘Tear Me Down’, is less than five minutes while two of the others, ‘The One – Eyes And Tongues’ and closer ‘Final Signs Of The End’ (a brilliant name for a last track), clock in at a massive 21 minutes between them. Not that either of the latter tracks drags: in fact, their intermingling of, especially classic psychedelia, into the basic stoner grooves makes them all the more entrancing.
There is no doubt that Desert Colossus have put a lot of time, effort and thought into honing their craft. And they have done so in a way which is accomplished but not contrived. There is an underlying energy which reflects the guys’ passion for and devotion to what they do. The result is a very enjoyable album, and one which definitely will appeal to even the most critical aficionado of the stoner genre.
- ‘Eyes And Tongues’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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