Top 5 On Friday – Planet Desert Rock (the next 5 bands that confirmed my decision to go.)
Last week, I discussed the first five bands that sold me on the Planet Desert Rock Weekend Festival, in Las Vegas. The dates are January 29th – February 1st, 2026. You can read that post here. Anyways, these next five bands actually got me to physically order the tickets.
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX
The first new addition to the initial roster release was The Atomic Bitchwax. Like Throttlerod, I have been a fan of the band over two decades now, just before the third album (III) came out. I had discovered the first two records and Spit Blood, and was a fan and follower ever since. I have thoroughly enjoyed every record that The Atomic Bitchwax has ever made. I have seen them play live at least half a dozen times (show review) and they have always been fantastic. I brought my son to his first rock show back in 2022 (check it out) to witness the energy of the band. I try and take every chance and opportunity I get to see the Bitchwax play live. They are one of my long time favorite bands and I can’t wait to see them again in Vegas!
https://theatomicbitchwax.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/1LG37ZfjZM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
THE HEAVY EYES
I was starting to get into The Heavy Eyes when it was announced that they were playing Planet Desert Rock. They are a fantastic band! I love their style of heavy blues driven rock, it sounds awesome! They have four full length albums available: 2011’s Self Titled, 2012’s Maera, 2015’s He Dreams Of Lions, and 2020’s Love Like Machines. It has been five years since we have heard any new music from The Heavy Eyes. Could we be hearing a new record soon? I hope so! The more I listen to this band, the more they grow on me. I think they have a very authentic sound that incorporates the blues into heavy rock, in a really powerful way.
https://theheavyeyesmemphis.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/1BaLJaPWxZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
SATURNA
Saturna is a band that I was unfamiliar with. They are from Spain and have been around since 2010. Their list of releases includes: 2013’s The Kingdom Of Spirit, 2013’s Ignis, 2016’s III / Lost in time, 2019’s Atlantis, 2022’s Turned To Stone Chapter 4: Higher Selves/ Split with Electric Monolith, 2023’s 70s Covers Night, and 2023’s The Reset. Their sound is firmly planted in 70’s hard rock and has a vibrant and classic feel to it. It is some excellent music! I have only begun to dig into these guys but The Reset sounds terrific! The vocals are on another level too which really anchors the music.
https://saturna777.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/1B5SfF7mWR/?mibextid=wwXIfr
THE WELL
The Well have been around since 2011 and they are from Austin, Texas. They have three albums available: 2014’s Samsara, 2016’s Pagan Science, and 2019’s Death And Consolation. This was another new band for me. I have heard their name for quite some time now but just recently their music. They sound awesome! It’s a mix of heavy psych rock, proto-metal, progressive, and bluesy doom. This is another band that has a very cool and interesting sound that I need to listen to a lot more.
https://www.thewellband.org/about
https://thewellaustin.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AaqDvY519/?mibextid=wwXIfr
PHANTOM HOUND
Phantom Hound from Oakland, California was announced in the second wave of bands and I was excited! The band play an awesome mix of stoner rock, grunge, blues, and heavy psych. I really enjoyed their last album, 2024’s From Boom Town To Ghost Town (review here). In fact, I like that record much more now than when I initially reviewed it. Phantom Hound has such a killer sound and it will be a great pleasure seeing them live.
https://phantomhound.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/12Drtm7eBta/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Well, there you have it! The five additional bands that prompted me to physically order those tickets. John Gist has a great selection of varied bands and I seem to like most of everything that I have heard him promote or endorse. The Planet Desert Rock Weekend is gonna be epic, so grab yourself some tickets and get ready for the event of a lifetime. Next week, I will conclude this series for now and mention the last five bands that have me going crazy. One of the newest additions in particular, has me climbing the walls and screaming out of tall buildings.
