Dust Prophet – One Last Look Upon The Sky

Release date: 27 January 2023   
Label: Self-release  

Intro

With high hopes for themselves, stoner doom group Dust Prophet sprung up out of New Hampshire in 2019. Starting as a pair of longtime friends, they soon branched out to a trio and then a quartet. Otto Kinzel and Sarah Wappler, the architects of the group, take inspiration from eclectic sources. Musically, they take direction from Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, and Tool. Lyrically, through the writing of Kinzel, their inspiration is derived from classic works and apocalyptic Biblical legends. All of this combines for a dark, complex, and smooth sound, lightly fuzzed out and heavy on the riffs. After a few years of warming up their guitar strings, Dust Prophet is now proud to release their breakout album, One Last Look Upon The Sky.

The Album

The album opens gently with A Storm of Time & Space part 1, a brief instrumental piano piece. After this, When The Axe Falls lurches forward with a peculiar sound of its own. Fuzzy, muted guitars and hollow drums mesh strangely with Kinzel’s vocals that are akin to the wails of Serj Tankian. Hot on the heels of the previous, Dear Mrs. Budd blasts out with a totally different sound. This track is high-energy, with a brisk tempo and drums played fast enough it sounds like MacPherson is practically struggling. An unexpected, thoughtful interlude helps to bring some variety before seamlessly flowing back to the track’s conclusion.

The aptly named fourth track, Song 4, is a curious blend of moods. Wappler on keyboards makes quiet and pensive, almost eerie tones. Meanwhile, Kinzel’s vocals are completely absent, but the guitar shreds out monotonous heavy riffs. MacPherson helpfully binds these together before Kinzel decides this song is meant for just the guitar… and is very right. Wappler does return at the end, delightfully mirroring the previous track’s late interlude. Almost without notice, Put to the Question opens with the fuzzy guitars now typical here. It’s both a surprise and a relief to hear Kinzel’s vocals return, but the odd rhythm of this track makes for a somewhat hard listen.

The High Capital makes a bold mood change from rough and heavy to softer and somewhat mysterious. This false sense of security shatters a minute in with guitars charging forward at the insistence of slow but powerful vocals. It is only with Wappler’s keyboards and plaintive bass that the guitar and vocals can be put at ease, shifting lower and slower to the end. A Storm of Time & Space part 2 feels more like a practice session than a proper song, but as an interlude, it serves its purpose nicely.

It feels like everything before has led to Hourglass, a well-worked piece that is captivatingly composed. The rolling guitars, hints of keyboards, loud but fun vocals, and pounding drums are in perfect harmony. It is almost an understatement to call this the pinnacle of the album as it is leagues above anything else. The final track, Bury Me Before Noon, takes a very daring sharp turn into occult rock territory. The whispering below, chanting above, and mumbling guitar that springs to life are all unique here. Slowly, this track heats up, Kinzel’s vocals somehow becoming growling screams over scorching guitars that play through to the end.

A Final Word

Dust Prophet may be new, but they show a lot of promise. It isn’t every day that genuine keys rather than an organ are used in psych or psych-adjacent rock, and Wappler knows how to sprinkle it over tracks in just the right amount. Add in Kinzel’s distinctive vocals that fit just as well in stoner or doom as they would sludge or nu metal and it’s a recipe for success. MacPherson and Doyle as the newer and newest additions, respectively, round out the sound. For now, the stumbles are just growing pains as they grab solid footing through tracks like The High Capital and Hourglass. With a little more time in the studio, future releases from Dust Prophet are sure to blow you away.

Line up:

• Otto Kinzel – Vocals, guitars
• Sarah Wappler – Bass, keyboards
• Tyler MacPherson – Drums, percussion
• Jason Doyle – Mix and master, guitars (not on album)

Links:

Bandcamp
Facebook
Official