Dust Prophet are a US doom/stoner band from the US and this is their debut album.
One Last Look upon the Sky delivers 54 minutes of charismatic music. A sandy mix of stoner, doom, psychedelic, and progressive rock/metal, Dust Prophet provide the listener with a warm and gritty example of the style.
According to the promo blurb Dust Prophet are inspired by Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Electric Wizard, Tool, and Clutch. You can hear these influences in the band’s sound, but without their music coming off as plagiarised. I generally have a low tolerance for stoner-related music, but Dust Prophet have enough personality and good songwriting to hit the spot nicely for me.
The music is on the darker side, which I favour, and the band craft earthy atmospheres with ease. The songs are rough and vibrant, without losing power through a poor recording. The music sounds honest and authentic, and the unpolished nature of the album lets the band’s personalities shine through.
The well-written songs all have their strengths, and there is plenty of catchiness to enjoy. The drums are surprisingly lively and sometimes sound like they have a life of their own. The bass has a good presence, and the guitars provide a range of textures to explore. It’s not all about worshipping The Riff here like it is for some similar acts, but when the band do put in a bit of worship, they worship hard; the band know a mean riff when they see one, and the album is peppered with distorted hooks. Synths/keyboards occasionally enhance the songs, adding another layer of depth to them. I like the vocals a great deal. They showcase good range and variety and the vocal performance is good throughout.
I wasn’t sure how much I would get out of One Last Look upon the Sky, but it turns out to be a really solid and enjoyable album. Dust Prophet are a good example of how a band can play stoner doom without coming across as tired or stale. For this I thank them greatly, and heartily encourage you to check out their album.
Wonderbox Metal 