Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace
Release Date: 14th March 2024
Label: Willowtip
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal.
FFO: An Abstract Illusion, The Ritual Aura, Ne Obliviscaris, Luna’s Call.
Review By: Eric Wilt
I am a member of a few death metal groups on social media, and one band that is always being brought up is Dessiderium. The band, which is really just Alex Haddad doing everything except programming the drums, has so many people bringing it up apropos of nothing, just a bunch of metalheads saying if you’ve never heard of this band, you’ve gotta give them a listen, that type of thing, so when I had the opportunity to review Dessiderium’s new album, Keys to the Palace, I couldn’t pass it up. For the new record, Dessiderium signed with Willowtip and enlisted Adam Burke to do the cover painting, so you know you’re getting a high-quality item.
The reason I’d never given Dessiderium much of a chance in the past is the symphonic aspects of the music, of which there are decidedly a lot. I’ve never been much of a fan of symphonic metal, so I’d listen to a couple of minutes of a song, and I’d find a different album. As I’ve given Dessiderium a chance, I can’t overstate how enjoyable Keys to the Palace is. There are a lot of symphonic elements, but they blend well with the rest of the instrumentation and vocals, and to tell the truth, after listening to this album a handful of times, I may just have to go find some other symphonic death metal to check out, but I digress.
The thing with Dessiderium’s music is it’s not just symphonic death metal. In fact, it may be more apt to call it progressive death metal with symphonic elements. Obviously, Haddad is more interested in following the music where it leads as opposed to trying to force it to fit into this box or that box, and Keys to the Palace is better for it. You’ve got the juxtaposition of ferocity and beauty in the heavy, progressive riffing and the lush orchestration, as well as the gruff death metal vocals and clean singing. There’s a lively piano that frolics (Yes, frolics. Listen to the album, and you’ll see what I mean.) along throughout the album, and it’s all brought together with lyrics that are intended, in Haddad’s words, to “reach for triumph.”
Keys to the Palace is a wonderful surprise. It’s the kind of album that begs to be listened to again as soon as the last notes have played. There’s so much happening on it that you probably aren’t going to hear everything that Dessiderium has to offer in one listening. It may even take a few listens to truly get it, but like a good movie with multiple layers to digest, Keys to the Palace rewards repeat listenings as it reveals itself a little at a time.
(4 / 5)
