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Since the 2011 release of "Falls of the Wasteland", Palm Desert have now come out with another collection of songs seemingly written in the high deserts crispness of the Mojave Desert air titled "Rotten Village Sessions". The 2011 release was credited, as mentioned above, with a sound similar to the kings of the high desert, Kyuss, so the anticipation, if not expectation, for "Rotten Village Sessions" will be 'can they do it again'? Or would they even want to do it again. What will it be like?

As it turns out, Palm Desert stick to the formula, perhaps working on crafting an even finer collection of stoner rock tunes than before, something certainly not easy to do, something not many bands, regardless of location, would want to attempt, but Palm Desert have not only made the attempt, they have pulled off another solid collection of songs that fit perfectly in the pantheon of the high desert stoner sound perpetuated by Kyuss in the 90s.

Is the music on this album original in style? Does it break new ground or reveal anything new at all? Perhaps not, at least not in style or genre, but who the fuck cares? Is it good stoner rock? No. It's GREAT stoner rock, and I, for one, am very appreciative of this foursome from Wraclow, Poland taking a sound they obviously love, and that I happen to love as well, and whipping out 9 fresh, healthy versions of a rock sound that is becoming rare. There is no direct copying of anything here of which I can tell, just new songs brilliantly written to a style that is quite rightly one of the best rock has ever produced, one that came and went in relative obscurity for most, but luckily not for us. ( )

Within the stoner rock style that Palm Desert employ are brilliant and gifted vocals, crucial to the high desert sound as set by John Garcia of Kyuss, eminent and energetic bass, never simply blended and relegated to the background as so often happens in many rock bands regardless of style, guitar that riffs and hooks, solos and scorches with the best of them, crucial to making memorable, enjoyable melodies, and drums, like the bass, that powerfully carve out their own space on these songs, not simply relegated to providing tempo and beat, but creating wonderful, vibrant music within the tapestry of Palm Desert's music.

The opening song, "Down the Odyssey" sets the tone, an eight minute intercontinental ballistic ride over the tops of saguaro and joshua, hooking from the outset, both in memorable melody and powerful blows to your stoner rock loving head. This is the kind of song you fall right into the middle of and ride for all its worth.

I love the echoey drum sound on track #3, "Ghulassa Saloon", that quickly leads into track #4, "Mani" where the musical threads here are trippy, catchy, and just plain groovy. It's a unique and incredibly enjoyable song that successfully employs unusual execution in instrumentation.

Palm Desert close out the album with a couple of classic sounding stoner songs, "Acid Phantom" and "White Wolf". The guitar work on "Acid Phantom" is pure and beautiful stoner rock, enjoyable for its effort as well as its dead on sound. "White Wolf" is ten minutes of sheer music brilliance, with a haunting, pitch perfect guitar weaving a tale of wonder and excitement, building up along the way with ever broadening drumwork, bass riffs, and vocal intensity. After ten minutes is a hidden little guitar ditty that adds a dash of flavor. It is there, I'm sure, just as a little thank you for those of us that made it to the end and enjoyed the trip along the way. (Nuclear_Dog/heavyplanet.net)

Wojciech Galuszka - Vocals
Piotr Lacny - Guitars
Jan Rutka - Bass
Kamil Ziolkowski - Drums, Additional Guitar
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Jacek Maciolek - Guitar Solo (Track 5)