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’.
Blast DUSTED ANGEL’s new single ‘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 Dinsmore’s commanding vocals. Whether slow-burning or full-throttle, their music is built for volume, leaving audiences battered, blissed-out, and begging for more.
New album This Side Of The Dirt
Out September 19th on Heavy Psych Sounds
Pre-Order HERE
This Side Of The Dirt Track List:
- Plastic People
- Death Crushes Hope
- Redman
- This Side Of The Dirt
- Kiss O Shame
- Little Lizzy
- The Thorn
- Seeking The Dawn
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 Keith 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, Earth-Sick 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.”
DUSTED ANGEL:
Elliot Young – Bass
Eric Fieber – Guitars
Clifford Dinsmore – Vocals
Steve Ilse – Drums
Eddie Gregor – Guitars