Dusted Angel to Release This Side of the Dirt Sept. 19; “Death Crushes Hope” Posted
Following up on the announcement last week that Dusted Angel had signed to Heavy Psych Sounds, the details of the Santa Cruz-based doom rockers’ next full-length, This Side of the Dirt — implying ‘alive’ — are now emerging. The release date is Sept. 19 for the eight-track outing, and the first single, “Death Crushes Hope,” is streaming now.
You might see in the quote from frontman Clifford Dinsmore (Bl’ast, Spaceboy) below he calls it “Death Crushed Hope.” I don’t know which is right — ‘crushes’ appears more often, so I’ve gone with that, but it’s a guess at best on my part — but either way, I remember 2010’s Earth-Sick Mind (review here), favorably, and though it’s been 15 years, I’m looking forward to hearing what Dusted Angel are coming back with after what seems to have been a busy decade-and-a-half.
The PR wire has it like this:
Santa Cruz stoner rock gang DUSTED ANGEL to release new album on Heavy Psych Sounds Records this fall; first track streaming now!
ALBUM PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS359
USA PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm
Santa Cruz, California’s stoner rock veterans DUSTED ANGEL (with Bl’ast frontman Clifford Dinsmore) return after fifteen years with their new album “This Side Of The Dirt” this September 19th on Heavy Psych Sounds, and unleash a rip-roaring first track with “Death Crushed Hope”!
Says frontman Clifford Dinsmore: “’Death Crushed Hope’ was always meant to be an uplifting song. It was inspired by the frustration I felt with getting older and the pain we all feel losing friends and loved ones along the way. Later, during my personal battles with cancer, it provided a whole new perspective. Despite the harshness of earthly circumstances, there are still the elemental forces of nature. There is still the option of escape and meditation within the solitude and tranquility of this planet’s wild and majestic wonderlands.”
Dusted Angel is a band that likes to keep it in the family. Made up of a group of close friends who have known each other since the early 80s — stemming from playing in various intertwined bands, engraved in the extended Santa Cruz scene — the band features Clifford Dinsmore on vocals (Bl’ast!, Seized Up, Spaceboy), Ed Gregor on guitar (Hedgehog, No Use For A Name), Eric “Dog” Fieber on guitar (Mock, Creature, Fire Sermon) Steve Ilse on drums (Creature, Herbert, Automatic Animal) and Eliot Young (Lost in Line, Seance) on bass. Fifteen years after their debut LP “Earth-Sick Mind”, the sleeping giant awakens to delight the masses with their crushing blend of stoner rock, doom, and desert riff worship, topped with Dunsmore’s commanding vocals. Whether slow-burning or full-throttle, their music is built for volume, leaving audiences battered, blissed-out, and begging for more.
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Plastic People – 5:23
Death Crushes Hope – 6:21
Redman – 3:32
This Side of the Dirt – 5:20
SIDE B
Kiss O Shame – 6:21
Little Lizzy – 4:05
The Thorn – 5:11
Seeking the Dawn – 4:28
Dusted Angel’s journey is one of passion, perseverance, and reinvention. Frontman Clifford Dunsmore reflects on the band’s history, from its explosive beginnings to its triumphant resurgence.
“It all started in 2008 when I heard Bill Torgerson (Bl’ast!), Eric Dog Feiber, Eliot Young, and Scott Stevens were jamming,” says Dunsmore. “When mutual friend Kieth Meek told me they wanted me to join, I was intrigued. Hearing The Thorn and Seeking The Dawn for the first time blew my mind — I had to be part of it.” After Dunsmore penned the song Dusted Angel, the band adopted the name as their own.
The early years were marked by relentless gigging, a 7” release, and their debut album, Earthsick Mind. But tragedy struck with the loss of Bill Torgerson. “Losing Bill was devastating — he was irreplaceable,” Dunsmore admits. “The only hope was Steve Ilse, who reluctantly joined part-time.” Challenges mounted when Scott Stevens faced nerve damage, slowing the band’s momentum. Still, they shared stages with Fu Manchu, High on Fire, and Melvins, keeping the fire alive.
Personal battles followed — Dunsmore survived two cancers, a bone marrow transplant, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, Dusted Angel endured, playing sparse shows as a four-piece before finding new life with guitarist Eddie Gregor. “When Eddie joined, everything clicked,” says Dunsmore. “For the first time in years, we felt like a real band again.”
Now, with a new album, a deal with Heavy Psych Sounds, and global ambitions, Dusted Angel is charging forward. “The momentum is unstoppable,” Dunsmore declares. “We’re ready for whatever comes next.”
DUSTED ANGEL is:
Elliot Young – Bass
Eric Fieber – Guitars
Clifford Dinsmore – Vocals
Steve Ilse – Drums
Eddie Gregor – Guitars
https://dustedangel.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dustedangelband/
https://www.facebook.com/DustedAngel/
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
