Much as its name suggests, desert rock is a subgenre whose roots can be traced to the Palm Desert scene of the late 80s and early 1990s. Ostensibly an offshoot of stoner metal, desert rock nonetheless became its own entity over time, mixing elements of classic rock, heavy metal, punk and psychedelia into a jam-friendly sound that crossed genre boundaries.
Given the sheer scale of influence the likes of Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Yawning Man have had on the wider music scene, inevitably the sound would eventually cross the desert and pop up everywhere from the frosty fjords of Scandinavia to the Antipodean expanse. That in mind, here is a guide to five essential records that should serve as a perfect primer on desert rock [and no, Kyuss aren't included - we've kept them for our stoner metal round-up].
