Fatso Jetson / Dali’s Llama – Legends Of The Desert Vol.3

 

 

Fatso Jetson / Dali’s Llama – Legends Of The Desert Vol.3
Desert Records – 2023
Rock, Stoner, Desert
Rated: *****

I have this weird relationship with split albums and have not reviewed many for Stoner HiVe. I do follow certain split record series, cause on some level they are excellent. Think Ripple Music’s Turned To Stone or The Second Coming Of Heavy chapters. And Desert Records is doing an equally stunning job with its Legends Of The Desert series. Which started off with Palehorse/Palerider & Lord Buffalo. The second installment featured The Penitent Man and Cortége. And now they’ve managed to get two honest to god, bonafide, Legends Of The Desert for the third episode. We’re talking Fatso Jetson and Dali’s Llama here! And both bring their own desert rocking flavor to the split album.

First up is Fatso Jetson with four tracks that meander from desert to blues, to stoner, to punk, to garage and back. A lot of meandering and slow moving rock, that feels orchestral or even orquesta, especially on the two instrumentals. Second track Angels Flight sees punk troubadour, desert pirate and sand poet Sean Wheeler adding his vocals as an extra magical touch.  Opener Night Of The Living Amends, is a slow sailing instrumental rocker that feels warm to the touch and gives off this classic desert rocking feel. With added keywork by Mathias Schneeberger, it also gives off an eighties television series vibe. And then you get hit by Angels Flight, which tells its story as the sun seems to go down on a warm and shimmering city and even though the red glow of the setting sun makes it all seem beautiful, there is woe here, luck running out and a darkness looming. That double voice when the second part of the tale comes in, will tear a rupture through your soul and leave a scar on your heart. Following instrumental rocking Todas Petrol Blues will blow away the emotions from Angels Flight and give you a more Palm Desert and Rancho De La Luna vibe, staccato riffs, robotic drums, all very elusive and yet in your face. One of Seven, the Final Fatso, as languid as the rock might be, the hammer still comes down, or better yet, swings. Even though in this case the meaning of the lyrics might be elusive, the instruments do this very stand fast thing, which makes you think the lyrics might be about facing the music and standing your ground.

Dali’s Llama are always on fire and always provide you with something different than what they did before. We only ever mentioned their Desert Lung EP on the HiVe, which was hundred percent desert punk. This time they get a bit heavier, turning up the blues, the proto touch and even the doom. And like Fatso Jetson they also give us four tracks. Four tracks that immediately show their darker, storm cloud colors with the two openers: Coyotes In The Graveyard and Lizards. Both definitely desert animals that strike hard like a hammer from the gods. And then comes Rarified, a more stoner trucking monster, with delicious bass work and a dead certain destination to get to. That is, until there’s a break in the song, and a bluesy banjo, thanks to Mikael Jacobson, articulates what feels like a summer drizzle that might turn into a full-on down poor any second. Side B and the album ends with Hypnotic Wind, which returns to the more thundering doom approach from the first two Dali’s Llama tracks. And the lyrics of all those Dali’s Llama tracks, brilliant and enchanting.

So as you might have gather from the text and abundance of adjectives above, this is a truly magical desert rock album. Insanely beautiful and overwhelming you with the highly different takes on what desert rock is all about. In short, there will never be a better desert rock split album. The legends turned out something legendary for Legends Of The Desert Vol.3.

(Written by JK)

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