The Birth Of Desert Rock

Hard rock and heavy metal have come a long way since their early days. While most of the genre’s roots can be found in thriving cities and towns, there is a scene that exists in a place as barren as a desert.

In contrast to Grunge taking over the world and becoming a “voice of the generation” as many people would say in the 90s, California’s palm desert rock scene existed in complete isolation. Bands like the legendary Yawning Man played trippy, marijuana-driven instrumental jam sessions in the vast sprawling landscape of the desert. These would eventually come to be known as “generator parties.”

The electricity for the musical equipment would be provided by gasoline generators and attended by small crowds of people. Josh Homme, the guitarist of Kyuss, said that “Playing in the desert was the shaping factor for the band. There are no clubs here, so you can only play for free. If people don't like you, they'll tell you. You can't suck." Truer words could not have been said, As Kyuss would eventually come to define the heavy, fuzzed out, almost Black Sabbath-like sound of Desert Rock with their album “Welcome to Sky Valley” (1993).

After leaving Kyuss, Josh Homme would form the band that would prove to be his magnum opus, Queens of the Stone Age. Their breakthrough album “Songs For The Deaf” (2002) peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, bringing the genre into the mainstream; from small generator parties to major festivals all over the world like Glastonbury, Rock am Ring, and Fuji rock festival.

Desert Rock has transformed from a small indie scene to a full-fleshed genre with bands like Mastodon, High on Fire, Baroness, and Royal Blood that continue to be a part of the mainstream. Even though one can find a wide variety of subgenres in Rock and Metal today, Desert Rock pays tribute to the true roots of the genre, with riffs that harken back to the era of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix further proving that Rock n Roll can never die.

Also read: Pin Drop Violence - A brutal combination of extreme and mainstream metal

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