Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace

Vicky

I have to mention that I’ve listened to this album about twenty times in the past week or so, which means that I’ve had time to view it from various different angles. The first thing you may notice is the album cover, which resembles something you might see in The Lord of the Rings. However, you probably understand from the beginning that we are talking about something that Frodo Baggins probably wouldn’t listen to on his way to Mordor.

In other words, have you ever wondered what might happen if we were to cross IOTUNN and Symphony X with Insomnium? Because Dessiderium most certainly has, and the result is better than you would expect. That is why they bring you the Keys to the Palace. Or, actually, Alex Haddad (the sole band member) brings you the Keys to his Palace. You can find something going on in “In the Midst of May”, “Dover Hendrix”, “Pollen for the Bees”, “A Dream That Wants Me Dead”, “Magenta”, and “Keys to the Palace” inside this palace.

To my embarrassment, this is the first Dessiderium album I’ve listened to in its entirety, which means that I don’t really have the ability to compare it to its predecessors. However, what really surprised me was the unusual combination of Progressive and Melodic Death Metal. We all know that Prog goes well with Symphonic, and Death mixes great with Black, but this blend left me speechless. On this album, you can also hear the drum programmer Brody Smith (known for his work with Exist, Kossuth, Satyr, and ex-Proliferation), as well as the pianist Thomas Leroy Meier.

Keys to the Palace is an intricate LP that pleases fans of both “light” and “gloomy” Metal, and it somewhat leaves you longing for more. Of course, together with the keys to the palace (yes, I did use wordplay again), you also receive a lot more: good clean vocals, intriguing growls typical of Death Metal (with the occasional Brutal Death twist in the vocals), complex guitar solos that alter the mood and give personality to the entire album, blast beats, and more. With swift rhythm changes and even some slight Doom/Black Metal influences, I must mention that “A Dream That Wants Me Dead” is my favorite song off the entire album. It’s like listening to a Prog version of My Dying Bride’s “Your Broken Shore”. Alex Haddad mentioned that the album took more than ten years to make and that Keys to the Palace “reaches for triumph. This is an album about time travel that explores the polarity between past and future, innocence and disillusionment, faith and despair, and adolescence and adulthood.”

Although everything about Keys to the Palace has been remarkably executed, mastered, and produced (kudos to Mendel bij de Leij, Alex Haddad, and his guests), there are certain times when everything becomes a bit too Proggy for my taste. Those mildly unpleasant moments are then followed by Death Metal goodness, which pretty much diminishes the progginess and helps to double the fun.

In a universe filled with mournful and often frustrating music, Dessiderium’s new album is a ray of sunshine for those Metalheads who just want to get their keys to the palace back so they can get inside the castle and blast this album at max volume again. With its rich layers, emotional depth, and genre-defying creativity, Keys to the Palace is a triumph that deserves a place in every Metal fan’s collection.

Label: Willowtip Records

Release date: March 14, 2025

Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Dessiderium-100063280476262/

Country: USA

Score: A whopping 4.0/5.0 that would make both Dream Theater and At The Gates really proud