Live Review: Desert Storm w/Famyne and Burning Claw Massacre at The Black Heart in London!

Its a scorching hot day in the big smoke as we head for The Black Heart in Camden for pints of Saint Monday IPA with the prospect of a night of big riffs on the tarot cards. Oxford natives Desert Storm are in town and having moved to Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of “Buried Under The Weight Of Reason” back in March, vocalist Matt Ryan tells us that to the band, every show feels as important as album release night.

The fact that Burning Claw Massacre [8/10] take to the stage wearing Pantera, Kyuss and Pentagram t-shirts probably tells you all you need to know about their influences, the five piece creating sounds which share their love of the low end groove with that Southern twang making them a joy to witness. Put simply their sound stirs the soul with Traditional Heavy Metal, Blues and Grunge vibes the a melting pot, cuts like “Splinters” with it’s harmonica replacing lead guitars and riffs fit for worship making all the difference. Before that one vocalist Johnny Ogle mentions the bands album is currently being mixed and before he can say a single world more there is a response from the crowd to “hurry up!” which tells you how well received they are. “Too Late To Die Young” and “Killbox” go down a storm, the former members of Pig Irön, Bleed To This and Dogstate loving every minute.

If there is any kind of come down after Canterbury Progressive Doom Metal outfit Famyne [8/10] played Hell on Air in Belgium last month then its not visible as the five piece embrace The Black Heart audience with affection. As with Burning Claw Massacre before them it feels like they’re half past due a new record as they play a career spanning set having not given us anything fresh since 2022’s well received sophomore album “The Ground Below“. They deliver us to evil with haunting tales of dark fantasy, riffs fit for idle worship and ethereal tinged vocals that take you to a new realm of existence in trademark fashion, the key difference between now and when we witnessed them at Bloodstock Open Air Festival last summer being the intensity of the sweaty club show. “Solid Earth” and “For My Sins” are both classy affairs, we can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Tonight’s headliners Desert Storm [9/10] have been all over Europe at this point in support of their new album “Buried Under The Weight Of Reason” but tonight is a special night. That’s because it’s Chris Whites first show officially back in the band, something which means the band are flying on pure adrenaline. The last time we witnessed them was two years ago as they opened the main stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival and while tonight is an infinity smaller venue, it’s no less nerve wracking. Brothers Cole are Oxford Royalty at this point and they provide the backbone of the bands sound, the blues driven stoner sludge sounds soul stirring from the very start of the band set. The difference is those harsh vocals with that hint of Southern twang which sets them apart from the wolf pack. Tonight the syncopated guitars sound huge, the leads so vibrant they’re blinding and the bass rumble so low it rattles your teeth. To the layman Desert Storm sound like they have been reinvigorated by side project Wall, cuts like “Woodsman“, “Shamanic Echoes” and “Newfound Respect” mightily impressive. It might seem hard to believe but next year will be the Southern Metal masters 20th anniversary, which is something to muse on while listening to the brilliance that is “Queen Reefer“, a master piece to raise a poison chalice to if we ever did hear one.