On November 11, 2022, American rock act Desert Dragon will be unleashing their latest album, ‘This Side of Heaven.” This album is the first to be released with vocalist Keith St. John, who brings his powerful style to this studio release. It’s been an exciting year for progressive music, especially progressive metal, but on the progressive rock side of things, there have been just as many amazing releases. And with that said, this might be one of our favorite progressive rock albums of 2022.
The opening track, ‘Bad Luck,’ goes hard with the more bluesy side of the band, and with its sizzling southern rock style. It’s a terrific way to immediately pull you in and hold your attention, especially with that top-notch harmonica, which you’ll find throughout. ‘God Bless Miss America’ Opens with some soft orchestrations and features a nice little changeup at the end where the band starts to finally unleash their more progressive side.
The third track, ‘Swamp Thing’ immediately made me think of the DC comics superhero. I vaguely remember the cartoon series from the early 90s, and its theme song which was pretty much a parody of The Troggs “Wild Thing,” though more specifically, the cover version by the band named “X.”
The reason that I mention this is because even as a child I can remember thinking the song didn’t quite fit the character of this mysterious creature that’s haunting the Louisiana waters. Musically, something more fitting such as the opening jaw harp which Desert Dragon breaks out in their third track would have been more fitting.
Something else I really like about this track is the thunderclap effect. As with all the effects on the more proggy side of things from the album, it does add some nice little touches to the songs, though in a live setting, I don’t particularly think there is something that you would miss. Though, the effects are certainly welcome on the studio release.
“No Way Back” is the softest track of the album and it even has brief moments of heaviness. The band did mention that this is probably their heaviest album to date. With its gentle blending of the piano and violin, it is a great track and is well placed in the middle of the record.
“Lock And Load” kicks off with a retro synth and a saxophone, and as we dive deeper into the album, we’re getting even more into the progressive side that I had mentioned. “Southside of Heaven” features violinist Adel Eskander, and for good measure we get a sitar thrown in the mix. Probably one of my favorite tracks on the album and is one of the more lengthier compositions which is what I love and want in my prog rock tracks.
I feel like there’s some noticeable influences from bands such as Deep Purple, and Iron Butterfly. Intentional or not, this sounds like an album that could come straight out of that era, but with a modern twist
Overall, this is a fantastic album, and each track feels unique, and stays true to the group’s core sound. Which by no means is an easy feat. Something else I’d like to complement is the production, which in particular is phenomenal. To the arrangements and instrumentation, to the subtle sound effects which are a nice touch, to the killer riffs, “This Side of Heaven” has everything we want in a hard rock/progressive album.
