Dessiderium - Keys to the Palace

Dessiderium is a one-man metal band from the United States that hit the scene in 2011 with a self-titled demo.  Under this banner, musician Alex Haddad has released five albums, with “Keys to the Palace,” being the latest of those. 

My first encounter with his music was the previous full-length, “Aria,” in 2021.  Although I did not review it, I did greatly enjoy it.  Unfortunately, I have yet to check out the other three albums (I’m very busy, sorry!) so it's my only frame of reference when comparing anything to this latest opus.

As far as my humble opinion goes, “Keys to the Palace,” takes everything that made “Aria” so damn good and expands them.  There is a better balance between light and dark elements, and everything has a very natural flow.  There is a better grasp on the more progressive elements, with both the melodic and extreme side of the project better integrated into it all.

The production and mix are impeccable.  The volume is just right and everything can be heard clearly even through the many layers that are presented.  Honestly, it’s an easy listen for such challenging, imaginative music.

Obviously, it’s a detailed listen but one that offers many rewards with return trips—and despite being over an hour in length, it doesn’t feel that long so diving back in to discover its many dimensions, sights, and sounds will not be an issue. 

I could easily write a full page review for each song—that’s how good they are and how much cool stuff they have waiting to be explored.  But I don’t have that kind of time, you don’t have that kind of time so I’m going to hit my favorite songs. 

It wouldn’t be impossible to talk about the album without mentioning the first song, "In the Midst of May" beyond just the obvious reason of it being the first song.   It not only introduces us to the majestic music inside but also sets the tone and mood for the rest of the album to follow.  From this point it all unfolds and, while every song does sound different, this is the root of the huge tree.

Within a few seconds of the song beginning, clever and dynamic drums  cascade around the song, pulling attention to its various nook at crannies.  The keyboards are delicious sprinkles that add refined texture and mood.  Alex’s vocals are insane—he can sing, scream, growl…this guy does each one with a lot of emotion and it always fits the moment.  Even though it’s progressive, with a lot of liminal spaces in which the notes between the notes thrive, it is still very much riff focused—it bangs your head as much as it makes you think.

“Pollen For The Bees,” is as delicate as it is heavy—it exists in both worlds with the focus on both of them creating engaging passages that bring a sweep, epic, atmosphere to even the most urgent moments.  The clean vocals in the first half are fantastic, an emotive dimension that pushes the song to heavier waters with a blackened approach.   

The middle portion of the song is a riff fest, everything from gallops and groove to a slightly dissonant approach before the later half adds in playful but deadly serious keys amongst a dense, tight rhythm section.   The last couple minutes consist of a high tide of rising action, especially between the keys and drums.

Now for the title song, which also happens to be the longest at over 16 minutes.  Let me tell you this: not a second is wasted.  From one moment to the next, each note is cleverly placed as a building block to create this massive whole.

The beginning is rather atmospheric, maybe even a bit serene, but the drums and bass give it a steady build up of urgency that begins to boil over as the two minute mark approaches.  By the time the six minute mark arrives, I'm convinced this is what Dream Theater might sound like if they were much more extreme.  The passage after the 9 minute mark is both devastating and playful, a sort of odd combination that should play against each other but actually works in each other’s favor.

The tempo increases as it races towards the end, the band’s black metal influences coming out strong yet everything sounds exactly as it should, even with a surprise return from the clean vocals. 

In the last couple of minutes, every instrument gives it their all as the song, and album, culminates into the final moment where all ends very suddenly.  After it’s over, it’s so easy to hit that repeat button and go through the 16 minutes again.

Dessiderium’s “Keys to the Palace,” proves that prog doesn’t have to be stuffy or pretentious and can even be heavy as hell even while keeping the best elements of the genre in play.  Utterly fantastic release! 

Rating: Excellent