Doomed Confessionary: Federico C., Andrea, Manuel & Federico G. (Desert Collider)
Photo by Andrea Casagranda
Desert Collider is a psych/desert/stoner rock quartet from Italy, formed by Federico Costanzo (guitar, vocals), Andrea Casagranda (drums), Manuel Colucci (bass) and Federico Gianfanti (vocals).
Inspired by the hypnotic grooves of the 1990s desert scene, the band blends stoner metal, space rock, and progressive elements with subtle psychedelic nuances. The sound balances heavy, riff-driven passages with atmospheric textures, echoing influences such as Kyuss, Lowrider, Monster Magnet, and Yawning Man while maintaining a clear identity.
After a year of intensive writing and experimentation, Desert Collider entered StoneBridge Studios in late 2024 to record their debut album, »Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity«. Mixed by Andrea Cola and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén, the album explores themes of identity, loss, and inner transformation, loosely inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s »Orphans Of The Sky«.
»Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity« has been released in March 2026 via Small Stone Recordings, with a vinyl edition by Kozmik Artifactz.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Desert Collider is a heavy psychedelic/stoner band started from the idea of making heavy music with a proper narrative behind it, so our songs are connected and the records are conceived as a whole.
Our first album, »Generation Ship«, is basically a sci-fi story told through riffs, melodies and atmospheric passages. We have a particular addition to heavy stuff, but we also like weird structures, atmospheric parts and the occasional trip into completely unexplored (by us) musical territory.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Getting four different people to write one record that actually sounds like one record. We all bring different ideas, references and ways of writing. The difficult part was taking all of that mix in a consistent way, keeping each individualities and turning it into a coherent sci-fi story, instead of having a collection of songs that happened to be played by the same band. Sometimes an idea works on its own but doesn’t work inside the record. Those are the painful ones.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our first record, definitely. Getting »Generation Ship« recorded and ending up with more or less exactly the sound and atmosphere we had in mind was a big thing for us.
We were also lucky to meet Andrea Cola at StoneBridge Studios. He understood pretty quickly what we were trying to do and helped us get the record where we wanted it to go, both technically and sonically. Karl Daniel Leiden did also an excellent job in mastering the record and creating the final product as we trusted him to do so. Also Small Stone Records has been very supportive since the first steps and had a decisive impact in spreading our music around.
Making a first album is already a pretty unique process. Making one that actually resembles the one you had in your head is an even more unique feeling.
What was your biggest regret?
Honestly, we’re still in the hype phase, so we’re not going to start looking for regrets yet. Ask us again in a couple of years 🙂
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The Neverending Festival on Isola d’Elba. It was our first proper big festival and the whole thing was memorable. There was a sunset there that looked almost ridiculous, like somebody had deliberately put it there for a music video.
We also shared the stage with some great bands and worked with a really good crew. The people running the festival were incredibly welcoming, and spending a few days there together did a lot for us as a band. We came back feeling much more like a proper unit. Also, playing on an island is difficult to complain about.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Probably how much people in the underground actually help each other.
You hear a lot about the difficulties of being an independent band, but we’ve met quite a few people who are genuinely interested in helping emerging bands. The feedback we’ve received has also been rather supportive. There’s also a really supportive feeling within the scene in general: people are often willing to share advice, opportunities, or simply give each other a hand when they can. It makes the whole experience feel much less competitive and much more like a community.
We’re also impressed by bands that just keep doing their thing. Elder, Mr. Bison and Red Sun come to mind. They have a very clear idea of what they want to be.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
This is where the interview gets dangerous. At the moment: Blood Incantation’s »Absolute Elsewhere«; Hexvessel’s »Nocturne« and »Polar Veil«. But then there are the records that are basically permanent residents: King Crimson – »In The Court Of The Crimson King«; Mercyful Fate – »Melissa«; Megadeth – »Rust In Peace«, preferably the pre-remaster version; Area – »Caution Radiation Area«; Black Sabbath, »Volume 4«…
And that’s only the beginning. We could genuinely keep going for hours.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Record everything and share it with your bandmates. Even the stupid idea you think you’ll never use. Put it on your phone and forget about it. Six months later it might become the main riff of a song. A dead-end idea, riff or melody could be the starting point for someone else in the band to turn it into something completely different. That’s actually how we exchange a lot of ideas between us.
Another thing we’ve learned is not to make the band completely dependent on what an audience expects from us. You have to be able to make the music you want to make. Otherwise you’re already compromising before you’ve even started.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Some of us have an energy drink situation that is probably getting out of hand.
And then there are the completely random ’80s listening sessions. Culture Club has definitely happened. More than once.
Also: salami with biscuits.
Don’t ask. Just try it.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Cesena / Emilia-Romagna?
We’re probably not the right band to describe one local scene because we’re basically nomads.
A lot of our musical connections are in Emilia-Romagna, where we recorded the album. There are some great bands around there, including Muffasonic, Holy Giant, Red Sun, Humulus and Mr. Bison.
At the moment our caravan has stopped in Basel. It’s a smaller scene, but there are interesting bands and people putting on shows, and we’re still getting to know it.
We haven’t been here long enough to pretend we’re experts.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’re currently reorganising a few things, so we’re not going to announce a list of shows that isn’t ready yet.
What we can say is that we’re already planning a much bigger live activity for 2027. We want to play a lot more and take the band to places we’ve never played before. So hang on tight.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Keep on evolving. We don’t want to make the same record again just because the first one worked. We want to keep developing as musicians and see where that takes the band.
The next album is already recorded as a demo, and we’re pretty ambitious about it. There is a lot of material to work with, so now we’re going to take our time and see how far we can push it.
How can people best support your band?
We’re going to update our Bandcamp soon with merch and some other material, so that’s probably the easiest way.
Listening to the record, sharing it, coming to a show or simply telling another person about the band all helps.
And if you’re another band or promoter, get in touch. We’re always happy to exchange gigs, play in other cities and help each other out where we can.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Your support has been and still is really important to us. We honestly didn’t know what to expect when »Generation Ship« came out, so seeing people actually listening to it, talking about it and coming to the shows has meant a lot.
But don’t get too comfortable.
Again, we’re already working on the next record.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well