The fourth full-length studio album by Greek Extreme Power/Thrash Metal band.
These nine songs are a culmination of everything the band draws inspiration from. No longer a bridge between their various influences but a destination reached – Power/Thrash Metal amalgam carved with Death/Black Metal tools!
The album’s lyrics speaks of how fire and stars, literally and metaphorically, have always fuelled human imagination for “good and bad”. Because through the ages men looked at the stars, those actual “fires in the skies”, and everyone found something different: gods, devils, angels, heavens or hells, aliens or ancient humans, our past and our future… And all these found their way in our lives through religion, science and art.

Formed in 2010, Desert Near The End already count a decade in the music industry.

Nevertheless, the band was initially formed in 1997 as Stormbringer and later on they renamed to The Eventide on 2001 just before changing again their name to Desert Near The End in 2010.

Of Fire and Stars is Desert Near The End 4th full length album.

The band’s style is well balanced extreme metal between thrash and power metal. The are also death and black passages in to give more interest. Once this crossover of styles was called speed metal.

Regardless of the music labels (which was never the case), Desert Near The End perform fast and aggressive riffs with nice melodic lines throughout the album. Their songwriting is very nice and I loved the acoustic parts in their songs because they add extra feeling to their work. Bands like Kreator and Metal Church are seemingly big influences for Desert Near The End. At their heavy/power metal themes Blind Guardian can be heard (especially in the melodies) and Iced Earth too.

The album’ lyrics are inspired by such space thematology as the wrath of the Universal Powers, the Unknown Cosmos and the Mystical Astral Destiny of Humanity.

My standout track from the album is Throne of Martyrdom which at the middle part has a melody that is influenced by old European/pagan ceremonies. The same melody played in metal style is a mixture of Kreator with Iron Maiden at the parts where the riff.

The whole album has such good moments.

The production is good and  Desert Near The End didn’t overdo it with tech facilities and the final result is easier for the ear to accept. It similarizes the old tech/thrash productions. This is an album all extreme metal fans will have a good time listening.

The band has already shared the stage with bands like Primordial, Wolfheart and Metal Church. I am sure more is yet to come!

Valeria Campagnale.