The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Clifford Dinsmore of Dusted Angel & Bl’ast

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I would never try to define what I do. I’m more of a “go with the natural flow” kind of person. I got into music through punk rock in the late 70s and early 80s. Steve, the drummer for Dusted Angel is actually one of the very 1st people I ever jammed with. Then I met the guys that I formed M.A.D. with when I was 17 and that eventually evolved into the band BL’AST!.

Describe your first musical memory.

One of my first musical memories was my uncle Steve and my Mom taking me to see Tower Of Power and Credence Clearwater Revival at the Oakland Coliseum in 1972. Totally life changing!

Describe your best musical memory to date.

It’s hard to pick from so many great musical memories. One that stands out is seeing Black Flag, Adolescents, Minute Men and China White at the Mabuhay Gardens in SF when I was 16 . We were at all those shows back then, but that particular night was absolutely amazing.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Going through my experiences with cancer was definitely an ultimate test of will and my belief in myself. It’s definitely not for everyone, and is an extreme exercise in self-discipline, and that discipline is the key to survival in that kind of fucked up life-altering situation.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Artistic progress eventually leads to self liberation and a more personalized view of life on earth and the universe as a whole.

How do you define success?

I would define success as being in a position of personal autonomy and still being able to get by and survive. Traveling and playing music with friends and making enough to get from one place to the next.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

The last presidential election!!! Sheer Terror!!

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

Another Dusted Angel record!!

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

The most essential function of art, in my opinion is to emphasize the incredible aesthetic of natural vs. unnatural in the world we live in. And musically, to create the soundtrack that moves through history. Imagine a world without art and music, it would be insanely bland!

Say something positive about yourself.

I’m kind of a nice person when I’m in a good mood?

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to going to Hawaii this winter with my girlfriend to hang out with family and friends. Being in the ocean over there is always so revitalizing.

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/

Dusted Angel, This Side of the Dirt (2025)

Santa Cruz doom rockers Dusted Angel will release their awaited second album, This Side of the Dirt, tomorrow, Sept. 19, through Heavy Psych Sounds. The band first emerged with a 2009 self-titled EP (review here) and their full-length debut, Earth-Sick Mind (review here), followed in 2010, but as will happen, life and other bands took priority. Vocalist Clifford Dinsmore (also Bl’ast and Spaceboy) got cancer twice, drummer Bill Torgerson (also Bl’ast) passed away, and they were sent reeling, but the eight songs and 40 minutes of This Side of the Dirt demonstrate what Cali underground heavy showgoers have known all along — the band are alive and well. Now a five-piece with Dinsmore and fellow founding members guitarist Eric Feiber and bassist Elliot Young, as well as drummer Steve Ilse (ex-Herbert) and guitarist Eddie Gregor, the band don’t so much erase the last 15 years as bring the sound of Dusted Angel into the present to represent where they’re at now.

I don’t know how long some of this material has been around, but with a decade and a half between records, the greater likelihood is it wasn’t all put together three months before they hit the studio. But if a cut like opener “Plastic People” or the subsequent single “Death Crushes Hope” have been in the works for however long, the record doesn’t is too brash to sound stale. The recording is raw tonally and Dinsmore‘s vocals are largely without effects, so as “Death Crushes Hope” picks up to add speed to the fluid, follow-that-riff! nod of “Plastic People,” the effect is true to the band’s roots in punk and hardcore. That intersection, between riff-centered doom/heavy rock and now-oldschool hardcore punk, is precisely where Dusted Angel will meet you, and while the temptation there is to say “for a beatdown” or some such implication of violence, the truth is This Side of the Dirt as a whole is no more defined by its aggression than by its groove. In any case, there’s plenty of both to go around. Here, that’s a reminder of part of the band’s initial appeal 16 years ago.

That said, for most who take it on, This Side of the Dirt will be their first experience with the band, and so the shove in “Little Lizzy” or the brooding, ultra-West Coast break in the title-track, and the chug in the later verses of the earlier, assumed-it’s-named-for-the-tobacco-company-which-I’m-still-not-sure-is-okay “Redman” will be striking for the perhaps unexpected angle they approach the concept of capital-‘H’ heavy. This becomes a strength for Dusted Angel throughout the LP as the two sides of their sound intertwine and “Kiss o’ Shame” is able to resolve in a riff and noise push that’s emblematic of the blend at its finest. The rawness in their approach, a sans-frills production — that’s not to say it’s too barebones or harsh; tones are full and the mix is balanced, but they’re not trying to be coated in fuzz or effects — bolsters the impression as “This Side of the Dirt” and “Kiss o’ Shame” dig into the center of the record where the vinyl side-split is found, but digitally (like on the album-premiere player below) the structure is of course more linear. In this way, those two songs giving over to “Little Lizzy” mirrors the shift from “Plastic People” and “Death Crushes Hope” into “Redman” at the outset, but that’s not to say the tracks are doing the same thing, because they’re not.

But if you want to look at the tracklisting as two, one, two, one, then the final grouping, “The Thorn” and “Seeking the Dawn” might be said to summarize that procession on a one-to-one basis. “The Thorn” is a little longer, and in classic ’00s-era riff-rock fashion is nearly halfway through its five-minute runtime before the first verse has started (love that), while “Seeking the Dawn” underscores the groove of the entirety while giving a crescendo to top it all off. The last thing to go when it’s all over is the lead guitar, and fair enough for the tumult preceding. By the time they get there, the declarations of purpose and character are long since made, but Dusted Angel neither overstay their welcome, and if there’s a formula at work, it’s malleable enough that they never seem to repeat themselves while at the same time never losing sight of their core direction. It doesn’t necessarily feel like balance, however, with the shouts and angular turns, shoves and changes of meter, but This Side of the Dirt is a more exciting listen as well for that.

The entirety of the album is streaming below, with more background from the PR wire thereafter.

Please enjoy:

Dusted Angel, This Side of the Dirt album premiere

Dusted Angel’s journey is one of passion, perseverance, and reinvention. Frontman Clifford Dinsmore 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 Dinsmore. “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 Dinsmore 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,” Dinsmore 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 — Dinsmore 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 Dinsmore. “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,” Dinsmore declares. “We’re ready for whatever comes next.”

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 is:
Elliot Young – Bass
Eric Fieber – Guitars
Clifford Dinsmore – Vocals
Steve Ilse – Drums
Eddie Gregor – Guitars

Dusted Angel on Bandcamp

Dusted Angel on Instagram

Dusted Angel on Facebook

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds on Instagram

Heavy Psych Sounds on Facebook

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/

Dusted Angel, “Death Crushes Hope”

I haven’t seen the name Dusted Angel around in a while. The band came up around the same time this site was getting started, and released their Billy Anderson-produced debut full-length Earth-Sick Mind (review here) in 2010 as a follow-up to their first 7″ in 2009 (review here) — while I’m dropping links, here’s a ’09 interview with vocalist Clifford Dinsmore — and there are myriad reasons they haven’t done a ton in the decade and a half since, among them cancer, lineup changes, the pandemic and other-band obligations as detailed in the bio below.

It’s different personnel, as noted, but Dinsmore (also Spaceboy, Bl’ast), guitarist Eric Fieber and bassist Elliot Young are the returning parties, while guitarist Eddie Gregor and drummer Steve Ilse will be making their first appearance in the yet-unannounced album for which the Cali-based band are newly signed to Heavy Psych Sounds. As is the label’s wont, staggered announcements means word of the record and probably a first single will be out in a week, and I’m especially looking forward to hearing what Dusted Angel have cooked up after so long.

So, with more likely to come, here’s the signing announcement from the label:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records to announce Californian stoner/doom metal band DUSTED ANGEL signing for a BRAND NEW RECORD !!!

We’re really stoked to announce that the US stoner/doom riffers DUSTED ANGEL are now part of the Heavy Psych Sounds Family.

The band has signed for a brand new album !!

ALBUM PRESALE + FIRST TRACK PREMIERE: JUNE 18th

SAYS THE BAND:

Clifford of Dusted Angel states: “We are so excited to be part of the Heavy Psych Sounds family with our upcoming release, which we recorded with Tim Green at Louder Studios. Eddie, Steve, Eliot, Dog and I extend our gratitude to the awesome people at Heavy Psych Sounds and are eager to share it with everyone across the globe. See you at the gigs!”

BIOGRAPHY

At the end of 2008, when I first heard that Bill Torgerson (who I’d played with for years in Bl’ast!), Eric Dog Feiber, Eliot Young and Scott Stevens were jamming I was instantly curious. When mutual friend Kieth Meek told me they wanted me to join I had to see what this is all about. Hearing The Thorn and Seeking The Dawn for the first time blew my mind and I was all about being a part of this project. After I wrote a song called Dusted Angel, we mutually agreed that would be the name of the band.

We were very active in the first couple years, playing live constantly. We released a 7″ and our full length, Earthsick Mind. When we lost Bill Torgerson, it was a severe blow to the band because he is such an irreplaceable drummer. In my my mind there was only one strand of hope and one man for the job: Steve Ilse! When I approached Steve, he was busy and extremely hesitant. When I told him he was the only person that could ever replace Bill, he reluctantly joined on a part time basis. When Scotty began to have severe problems with nerves in his arm and hands we began our descent into obscurity.

We were still playing a few great shows a year with the likes of Fu Manchu, High on fire, Melvins, Red Fang, Radio Moscow, Chrom, and other friends bands that would momentarily resuscitate the motivation. I never lost interest in Dusted Angel, and always dreamed of the day we could be more than a side project. After I had survived two different kinds of cancer and Scotty left the band, our friend Donny Champion sat in for a brief period on second guitar. Then the whole COVID-19 nightmare happened and I did a year of chemo therapy and a bone marrow transplant. When I came out of the fog and was able to function again we began doing limited shows with one guitar. We decided we wanted to dedicate more time to Dusted Angel and our search for a second guitar player began.

Eddie Gregor was an old friend and was always around, blowing our minds with his guitar playing. When I asked “what about Eddie?” Everyone just assumed he was too busy. When I finally asked him what he thought about being in the band, he said he had recently pictured playing with us while watching us perform. When he decided to give it a shot, things instantly gelled. The rest is history and for the first time in years we were able to feel like a real band again. Since his induction, it’s been non stop momentum. Incredible live shows, recording the new record, signing with HPS, and the opportunity to finally take Dusted Angel around the world. We look forward to whatever happens next!

DUSTED ANGEL is:
CLIFFORD DINSMORE – VOCALS
ERIC (DOG) FEIBER – GUITAR
ELIOT YOUNG – BASS
STEVE ILSE – DRUMS
EDDIE GREGOR – GUITAR

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/

Dusted Angel, “Kiss of Shame” live in Santa Cruz, CA, June 25, 2023

Santa Cruz heavy rockers Doors to No Where release their new single ‘Drift Into Sequence,’ Aug. 25 on Bandcamp and the rest of the stream/DL ecosphere through Desert Records. That’s Friday, if you’re not paying attention. Recorded by Aaron Cooper, who ended up playing guitar and synth in addition to engineering — always a good thing when the producer ends up adding to the track; means they think enough of what’s happening to be inspired to do so; when an engineer doesn’t give a rat’s ass, that doesn’t happen — the song in its accompanying lyric video form runs 6:40 and presents itself with the raw, on-beat melodicism reminiscent of Alice in Chains‘ Facelift, which is suitable to the layered and brooding vocal from founding guitarist Marc Lewis (also Moog, other keys).

As Lewis and bassist Marc Prefontaine — who eases the transition out of the Spanish-guitar midsection back into the verse and is the force of heft overall — welcome new drummer Kyle Moore and collaborate with Cooper as producer/player, the band’s general palette seems to have expanded even since they arrived on Desert Records with 2021’s Darkness Falls (discussed here), which was their fourth album.

What’s the plan for a fifth, I don’t know beyond the all-caps update in the headline below. The crunch in the guitar tone on “Drift Into Sequence” is so resolutely ’90s — I can hear Megadeth in it initially and Clutch in its later roll, both ’90s era, in addition to Alice in Chains, so yes, ’90s — as Lewis cycles through the first chorus of “I’m at odds with your fate/I’m at odds with the pain you’re in,” the undercurrent of metal feels genuine. A subtle twist brings back the verse, hinting toward lysergics as it moves into that acoustic-inclusive break, but interested ultimately in the straight and narrow of structure and returning smoothly to that.

The flamenco-esque guitar returns as the song wraps, doubling-down on the divergence from the norm while reinforcing the norm itself, Moore making his presence felt in the toms behind that finish and in the verse groove prior, putting a sense of movement to the grim, moody atmosphere that surrounds. It’s only one song and supposedly they’re working on more, so fair enough. Figure we’ll probably hear from them either way sometime next year.

Doors to No Where have also collaborated with Slough Brewing Collective to create “Stage Beer,” which one assumes based on the description is a lower-ABV session lager or ale. In any case, if beer’s your thing, you’ll want to take note.

Video follows here, with more from the PR wire below, including the preorder link.

Please enjoy:

Doors to No Where, “Drift Into Sequence” lyric video premiere

Desert Records proudly presents Doors To No Where and their upcoming single “Drift Into Sequence”

THE BAND HAS ALSO HAS BEGAN WORK ON A NEW RECORD

SINGLE PREORDER: https://doorstonowhere.bandcamp.com/track/drift-into-sequence

DRIFT INTO SEQUENCE

Driven by a dissonant guitar riff “Drift Into Sequence” is a complex sonic journey with a touch of heavy psych. Lyrically the song is about a person going through a mental health crisis and battling themselves. The premise is that someone knows they are not well but feels helpless in what the next step is. “Drift Into Sequence” is also the first song to welcome Kyle Moore (Band Of Orcs/Stellar Corpses) into the band. Kyle is familiar with the band as he filled in on a tour in the past.

The cover art was done by Santa Cruz based artist Ugly Eye. The track was mixed and mastered by Aaron Cooper (Pylon Productions) who also contributed synth and guitar.

DOORS TO NO WHERE

Doors To No Where from Santa Cruz California have been going at it since 2010 when the band was formed by front man Marc Lewis. Along with Drummer Alex Ross and Bass player Sean Sanford Doors To No Where put out their debut album “I’m Alive” via ChillTopp Records. In 2012 Doors To No Where released their sophomore album “Lucky You” which was the first to feature Pete Tetorff on drums. Next came the album “The Haunting” which featured the same lineup in 2016.

In 2020 Doors To No Where signed with Desert Records and began work on a new album “Darkness Falls,” which would be the introduction of new bass player Marc Prefontaine. “Darkness Falls” also features some guitar work from Bob Balch of Fu Manchu. Since then the band has released a series of singles, “Gloom” and “Time For A New Dream” and have begun working on a new full length album. “Time For A New Dream” once again featured Bob Balch on guitar. The band also announced that Kyle Moore will now be handling drum duties.

BEER RELEASE

To help celebrate the release of “DRIFT INTO SEQUENCE” Doors To No Where worked with The Slough Brewing Collective in Watsonville California to brew “Stage Beer.” The light and crisp lager will be the perfect hydrating co-pilot to help fuel badass riffs and grooves. Lewis who was hands on from start to finish brewed stage beer with brewer Ben Ward. “Stage Beer” is a golden glass of pure joy and the can will feature art by Slogan design.

Marc Lewis is a musician from Santa Cruz, California that has been creating music since 1996 when he was the ripe age of 12. Starting off with some good old school punk Lewis created the perfect soundtrack for skateboarding and surfing around SC. In the early days Marc played stages across California along with many skate contests or DIY shows in the punk scene. Lewis started adding the stoner rock influence and heavy sounds to his writing style as he progressed in his playing style. Marc has been in the bands Live Wire, The Fire Sermon, It and Doors To No Where.

He has shared a stage with such bands as: Big Business, Mondo Generator, Adolescents, Fu Manchu, Mos Generator, Sevendust, Fatso Jetson, Blast and The Melvins.

Doors To No Where is:
Marc Lewis – Vocals, Lead Guitar, Moog, Keys
Marc Prefontaine – Bass
Kyle Moore – Drums
Aaron Cooper – Engineer, Synth, Guitar

Doors to No Where, “Drift Into Sequence”

Doors to No Where on Facebook

Doors to No Where on Instagram

Doors to No Where on Bandcamp

Doors to No Where website

Any addition to the catalog of Santa Cruz, California, merchants Mammatus is noteworthy. Expanding Majesty is all the more so, in being the trio’s fifth album, first for Silver Current Records, and in arriving some eight years after their fourth, 2015’s sharp-visioned Sparkling Waters (review here); they also had their The Ear Food compilation of off-album tracks in 2020. One way or the other, it’s been a while, and the trio who began their run in 2005, released their self-titled debut (discussed here) in 2006, and quickly reaffirmed their penchant for epic and longform heavy psychedelia in 2007’s The Coast Explodes, continue to grow in new directions.

True, Expanding Majesty shares much of its makeup in common with Sparkling Waters; at nearly 70 minutes long, it is presented across the each-to-their-own-vinyl-side “Expanding Majesty” (15:18), “By the Sky” (15:17), “Foreveriff” (22:38) and “Beams of Light” (16:19), and like its predecessor, the latest offering was recorded with Phil Manley (Trans Am/The Fucking Champs) at El Studio in San Francisco (Tim Green mastered at Louder Studios in Grass Valley), and the result is a rich tapestry of prog-informed heavy psych rock, as classic in its exploration as it is evocative in the hearing. Pretty much what Mammatus do, right?

Honestly, that’d probably be enough on its own for Expanding Majesty to accomplish — a new Mammatus record, existing! — but guitarist/vocalist Nicky Emmert, bassist Chris Freels and drummer Aaron Emmert push forward along their individual path, each contributing to the overarching washes of synthesizer/keyboard that become so much a part of the album’s personality. Whether it’s the serene pastoralism in the opening moments of “By the Sky” or the science-fact swirls that fill out along the extended intro to “Expanding Majesty” itself, they play a central role.

That early going of the title-track finds them contrasting but following the rhythm of the purposefully tense guitar circular runs of guitar, gradually becoming more prominent until they’re at the forefront of the mix, not so much competing with the pickslide sweep of distortion that comes in at 7:05 as a setup for the first (yes, first) entry of the vocals half a minute later, but definitely the sky to that grounding rumble. That makes the keys/synth a fit as well alongside Nicky‘s effects-laced-but-gentle vocal delivery, which becomes a part of the atmosphere of the record as a whole and is a uniting factor in the material.

“Expanding Majesty” further establishes the self-awareness that underlies so much of the album that shares its name. The song? Well, it’s majestic and it expands and grows broader throughout its 15-plus minutes. “By the Sky?” Perhaps best summarized by the gorgeous Cristian Eres hinting-at-classic-metal cover art, a dragon flying to a guitar castle above clouds on what may or may not be another planet; it starts with just under three minutes of wakeup before slow-crashing in and taking off into the verse, which does nothing if not look down from above. “Foreveriff?” Yeah, it’s 22 minutes long, but more than that, it’s the way the rolling heavy post-rocker seems to meander even as it weaves into and out of leads, verses, float and crush; the surrounding rhythm is so linear that it’s easy to get lost and not know where it begins or ends. Imagine marching on air, finding clarity in the last nod that starts at about 19 minutes in, growing more fluid en route to the comedown.

And do I even have to say it for “Beams of Light?” The dreamy, melody-focused opening section building gracefully to a heavy psych crescendo about five minutes in that puts twists on a riff that would otherwise be signature Colour Haze before going full-cosmic ethereal around the midpoint, soon to pick up the tempo with an earlier Devin Townsend-style chug (note these are my comparisons; I’d be surprised if the band listened to either of the groups mentioned in this sentence) that serves as a bed for the at-least-two layers of guitar soloing that transport Mammatus and their audience alike to the record’s finish, highlighting the shimmer that’s been there all the while in all the songs, each presenting it in its own sculpted form, sometimes vast, sometimes compact, tense like the hi-hat and speedy noodling of “Expanding Majesty” or an exercise in worldbuilding like the closer.

Through it all, Mammatus retain their sense of purpose, and while there’s little doubt these four pieces were born out of jamming and perhaps built around them, they are not jams. They are songs, with structures and plotted directions, considered dynamics and places to go. That difference is crucial to understanding Expanding Majesty as a forward step in Mammatus‘ ongoing progression. Even the logo the band uses on the front cover tells you something about the heavy metal precision that sneaks into some of the lead guitar parts — “Beams of Light” circa 12 minutes in, for example — but from inside out, Expanding Majesty is conscious of what it’s doing and why, and the focusing of that intention around progressive elements, the slowdown in “By the Sky” and “Foreveriff” after “Expanding Majesty” and the way “Beams of Light” seems to draw the different sides together while also finding new ground, makes it even more resonant as arguably the most vocal-minded and definitely the most synth-minded release in Mammatus‘ catalog.

They remain themselves, which is something for which anyone still reading this is likely to be thankful, but as they did following the six years between The Coast Explodes and 2013’s Heady Mental (review here), Mammatus would seem to have used at least part of the longer break between outings to present and develop fresh ideas. The immersion factor in Expanding Majesty is not to be understated. The Emmerts and Freels carefully and lightly guide the listener through the sometimes-sparse, sometimes frenetic course the record takes, having long since earned the trust of their audience. That intro to “By the Sky.” That last push over the top the vocals bring in “Foreveriff” at about 18 minutes in. These are emblematic of the fullness of Expanding Majesty and the band’s ability to steer their particular dragon wherever they want it to fly. Here, they encompass multitudes.

Mammatus, Expanding Majesty (2023)

Mammatus on Facebook

Mammatus on Instagram

Mammatus on Bandcamp

Mammatus website

Silver Current Records on Facebook

Silver Current Records on Instagram

Silver Current Records on Bandcamp

Silver Current Records website

Silver Current Records linktr.ee

I’m well aware that if you’re anything like me, no words I put here are going to make a damn bit of difference in slowing you down from checking out the 15-minute streaming-now title-track of Mammatus‘ impending 2LP full-length, Expanding Majesty. So have at it. I can’t even argue. The Cali psych-prog purveyors make the going sweet, with crisp tonality that reminds of where they were eight years ago on 2015’s Sparkling Waters (review here) without giving up the sense of journey from their earliest work, be it their 2006 self-titled debut (discussed here) or that record’s 2007 follow-up, The Coast Explodes.

Those two records are something of a longform/jam holy duology, but 2013’s Heady Mental (review here) began interweaving progressive textures into the proceedings, and listening to “Expanding Majesty” even as long as it’s been since Sparkling Waters — which, indeed, shimmered — the three-piece are still recognizable in their craft, dynamic and willingness to go, go, go where the song wants to go. I didn’t have a spot saved on my best-albums-of-2023 list for Mammatus when I woke up this morning, but I do now. It’s out June 23 through Silver Current Records.

Enjoy:

MAMMATUS return after 8 years with brand new album Expanding Majesty on Silver Current Records

A sprawling masterwork and a career defining album that pushes the boundaries of 21st Century heavy music.

8 years in the making, Santa Cruz California’s reclusive sons of tectonic riffage Mammatus return with Expanding Majesty, a 69 minute magnum opus of kaleidoscopic guitars, soaring analog synths, wall-of-amps fuzz bass and 100ft drums. 4 side-long pieces unfold across a double album in unstoppable riffs that span the meditative and joyful un-earthed flight of 70’s kosmische godfathers like Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream to the kinds of sub-surface thunder pioneered by Melvins and Sleep.

Like Stanley Kubrick, Mammatus are slowing in output as they forge surely and steadily down the path of their artistic legacy. Now, 8 years since their last release and 20 years since their inception as a band, Mammatus have recorded a sprawling masterwork. Expanding Majesty is not just a career defining album for the band but one that pushes the boundaries of 21st Century heavy music.

Formed by brothers Nicky and Aaron Emmert in 2005 in Santa Cruz, California, the same fertile Redwoods-and-sea incubator that produced fellow outer-region psych travelers Comets on Fire, Residual Echoes and The Fucking Champs, Mammatus have become increasingly reclusive in the years since their inception. They have also been honing their vision of mathy stoner rock, proto-new age, Kraut-prog and organic proto-metal into a panoramic, ever-expanding visionary world uniquely their own resulting in Expanding Majesty. Engineered by Phil Manley (The Fucking Champs/ Trans Am) at El Studio in San Francisco, four extended side-long pieces take the listener on a journey in which they experience reality only through the mind and vision of Mammatus.

The album opens with the 15+ minute ‘Expanding Majesty,’ as guitarist and singer Nicky Emmert strikes a single window-rattling guitar chord and breaks the darkness, shooting a ray of sonic light forth and letting it hang, glowing for a moment before Mammatus begins to assuredly introduce and weave together the album’s strands of DNA; kaleidoscopic guitar notes in infinite double helix, soaring 70’s analog synthesizers, wall-of-amps bass, 100ft drums and finally, no sooner than 71/2 minutes into the song, huge and ethereal vocals in cascading harmonic layers.

Opener ‘Expanding Majesty’ in its long running, epic arc, travels from the meditative and joyful un-earthed flight of 70’s Kosmische godfathers like Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream to the kinds of tectonic sub-surface riffage pioneered by The Melvins and Sleep and these two poles of heavyosity maintain the balance of the album’s 69 minutes.

Despite the intensity of the music veering between darkness and light, the subject matter and intention of the music is strictly positivism, awe and wonder at the beauty of the natural world and the possibilities of expanded human consciousness.

16 years ago and only two years into their existence, Mammatus essentially dropped out of the indie music rat race and were absorbed back into the Santa Cruz hills and valleys, walking away from an expanding touring career and the traditional non-stop release/ promote/ tour/ release cycle to find out if there was something more profound at the true heart of creativity and ‘being a band.’ In 2007, having just come off a successful US tour with Acid Mothers Temple, they retreated and reconfigured their musical life around the idea of peak creativity and peak quality of output completely off timeline or professional agenda. Their releases began to slow down and they began to create music with glacial precision.

There have been bands that have taken 8 years to release an album but very few who intentionally afford their creativity such time to patiently, steadily and mindfully work on a record and see it through to completion.

The old-growth redwoods, the grassy hills and mountain tops, the crashing ocean, the blue sky into the black of space into the infinite universe are all the stuff of Expanding Majesty, both its subject matter and its genetic structure. It is a slow work, made of patience, tradition and love of craft, a master rendition of the beauty of our world, fantastic and incredible through the eyes of Mammatus.

MAMMATUS
EXPANDING MAJESTY
Silver Current Records
Release date: 23rd June 2023 (2XLP)

Tracklist
1. Expanding Majesty (15:18)
2. By The Sky (15:17)
3. Foreveriff (22:38)
4. Beams Of Light (16:18)

https://www.facebook.com/mammatusband/
https://www.instagram.com/mammatusband/
https://mammatus.bandcamp.com/
https://headymental.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SilverCurrentRecords
https://www.instagram.com/silvercurrent/
https://silvercurrent.bandcamp.com/
http://www.silvercurrentrecords.com/
https://linktr.ee/silvercurrent

Mammatus, “Expanding Majesty”

Founding multi-instrumentalist Marc Lewis of Santa Cruz heavy rockers Doors to No Where is — as per the all-caps statement at the bottom of this post from the PR wire — planning to release a solo record either this or next year. As you take on his new single and not-the-first-time collaboration with guitarist Bob Balch of Fu Manchu, perhaps note that intention in processing some of the differences between Lewis and the band of which he remains an integral part. “Time for a New Dream” was composed and recorded for a self-challenge while the other members were working on various projects, but as Lewis handles vocals, bass, guitar, keys and drums with no complete band lineup behind him, gears would seem to have been switched. And as so often happens, one song leads to another,  and eventually, a full-length.

Doors to No Where signed to Desert Records for last year’s Darkness Falls (discussed here), on which Balch also featured, and it seems the label will pick up Lewis‘ impending solo release as well — don’t quote me, but that’s it looks right now; plans can always change — which is fair enough. The intention behind the song as Lewis puts it is to roll out a riff, vibe open for a while, then pick up with more terrestrial groove at the finish. Balch, also of the exploratory Big Scenic Nowhere, is right at home in the “Time for a New Dream” midsection, his sound nuanced in its approach, his playing technically unquestionable and his addition to the atmosphere of that stretch essential. It is Lewis‘ track, but he shares it well with Balch and also producer Aaron Cooper, who adds synth embellishment and vocals.

I guess the question I’m left with apart from when’s the record out is whether or not indeed it’s time for new dream. There’s an aging generation of heavy rockers and genre heads grey-bearding it up at shows — I’m part of it, as much as I can leave the house these days — and though it was easy enough for rock and roll to be for the young in, say, 1970, when everybody who’d ever made it was still young, applying the ethic becomes more difficult when someone’s life has been in no small part defined by their joining this community of passionate creatives. Does one need to hang up one’s dream, whatever that may be, as a result of time, or is it simply a change of focus being alluded to in the title in the first place and I’m overthinking it?

I don’t know. It seems to me, though, that as my hair falls out, my beard goes greyer, my ass expands like the universe itself, my body keeps finding exciting new ways to hurt and I’m more tired at 8:30PM than I used to be at two in the morning, that part of being a “lifer” at a thing is understanding how to make that thing a part of your life. If you feel differently, I would only say to you give it time.

Enjoy the track:

Marc Lewis, “Time for a New Dream” lyric video

Marc Lewis on “Time For A New Dream”:

This track is the first one I started really working on when I started really putting my attention to putting out a solo project. I really liked the idea of the rolling riff hitting a wall on going on a bit of a psych trip before hitting hard again. Right away I knew I wanted to work with Balch again, the dude is such a pro and amazing talent. His tone and style are truly some of my favorites out there.

Marc Lewis featuring Bob Balch & Aaron Cooper
Time For A New Dream (single)
doorstonowhere.bandcamp.com/track/time-for-a-new-dream-feat-bob-balch

TIME FOR A NEW DREAM

Desert Records is proud to present “Time For A New Dream” by Marc Lewis from Doors To No where and featuring Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Big Scenic No Where) on Guitar and synth. The track was mixed and mastered by Aaron Cooper (Pylon Productions) who also contributed vocals and synth.

Marc Lewis from Santa Cruz California has been playing gigs and recording since he was 13. Marc got his start by fronting the band Live Wire who put out four albums and toured all over the place. Marc also played with The Fire Sermon, It and Drive contributing to multiple albums and tours. In 2010 Marc started Doors To No Where with drummer Alex Ross. Doors To No Where has put out four studio albums to date.

Bob Balch is a bonafide guitar hero and absolute legend. Balch has not only been playing with Fu Manchu since 1996 but he is also one of the founders of Big Scenic Nowhere and Sun And Sail Club. The contributions Balch has given to stoner rock are undeniable. He also is the mastermind of playthisriff.com and has in own guitar, amp and pedal pro models.

BEER RELEASE

To help celebrate the release of “Time For A New Dream” Marc Lewis worked with The Slough Brewing Collective in Watsonville California to brew “Stage Beer.” The light and crisp lager will be the perfect hydrating co-pilot to help fuel badass riffs and grooves. Lewis who was hands on from start to finish brewed stage beer with brewer Ben Ward. “Stage Beer” is a golden glass of pure joy and the can will feature art by Slogan design.

Marc Lewis is a musician from Santa Cruz, California that has been creating music since 1996 when he was the ripe age of 12. Starting off with some good old school punk Lewis created the perfect soundtrack for skateboarding and surfing around SC. In the early days Marc played stages across California along with many skate contests or DIY shows in the punk scene. Lewis started adding the stoner rock influence and heavy sounds to his writing style as he progressed in his playing style. Marc has been in the bands Live Wire, The Fire Sermon, It and Doors To No Where.

Time For A New Dream features:
Marc Lewis – Vocals, Guitar, Moog, Keys, Bass, Drums
Bob Balch – Guitar, synth
Aaron Cooper – Engineer, Producer, Synth, Vocals

MARC LEWIS PLANS ON RELEASING A SOLO RECORD LATE 2022 OR EARLY NEXT YEAR.

Doors to No Where on Facebook

Doors to No Where on Instagram

Doors to No Where on Bandcamp

Doors to No Where website

Desert Records on Facebook

Desert Records on Bandcamp

Desert Records store