A gothic tinged trip into the murkier sides of the WEEDIAN atmosphere. Progressive with a DARK TWIST that packed full of highly original and organic Stoner based grooves.
I caught up with Otto Kinzel (Guitars/Vocals) from the band where we discussed the making of the album, formation of the band and the struggles they went through just to release this outstanding album.
So Read On For More Info....
Hi there. How’s it going? Thanks for doing the interview.
Thank you for having me! I’m very appreciative of the opportunity.
For folks not in the know, can you give a brief history of the band and where it is today?
We are based in Manchester, NH (Manch-Vegas as the locals like to refer to it). Sarah Wappler (bass/keyboards) & I started Dust Prophet in 2018 but it took a little while to get everything going. It wasn’t until COVID lockdown that we found Tyler MacPherson (drums) and finally got some momentum. Once Tyler was on board, we had a consistent line-up and started writing & recording. As of today, we have released several singles & are gearing up for the release of our debut album, One Last Look Upon the Sky, which will be January 27th, 2023.
How would you describe your music in your own words?
We play Stoner/Doom Metal but have a big psychedelic/progressive rock influence that we try to let fly whenever possible. We all love “riff” focused music, and Sarah is our in-house Queen of the Riff, as she writes a huge chunk of the music. We’re equal parts inspired by Clutch, Acid King and Kyuss as we are Opeth and All Them Witches.
Why did you call the band - Dust Prophet? Any specific meaning?
We just thought it was a cool name ha ha. We wanted to find a name that conjured a specific image related to the genre of Stoner/Doom Metal. We had a few preliminary ideas that eventually evolved into Dust Prophet.
We’re here to talk about your upcoming new album One Last Look Upon the Sky. What can people expect for this album?
First off, hopefully people don’t think it sucks! We have a lot of longer songs, in the 7,8 and even 9-minute range. So, a lot of epic compositions that we hope will take the listener on a hypnotic journey. We want the album to be something you can put on and go track by track with a specific ebb & flow.
Hi there. How’s it going? Thanks for doing the interview.
Thank you for having me! I’m very appreciative of the opportunity.
For folks not in the know, can you give a brief history of the band and where it is today?
We are based in Manchester, NH (Manch-Vegas as the locals like to refer to it). Sarah Wappler (bass/keyboards) & I started Dust Prophet in 2018 but it took a little while to get everything going. It wasn’t until COVID lockdown that we found Tyler MacPherson (drums) and finally got some momentum. Once Tyler was on board, we had a consistent line-up and started writing & recording. As of today, we have released several singles & are gearing up for the release of our debut album, One Last Look Upon the Sky, which will be January 27th, 2023.
How would you describe your music in your own words?
We play Stoner/Doom Metal but have a big psychedelic/progressive rock influence that we try to let fly whenever possible. We all love “riff” focused music, and Sarah is our in-house Queen of the Riff, as she writes a huge chunk of the music. We’re equal parts inspired by Clutch, Acid King and Kyuss as we are Opeth and All Them Witches.
Why did you call the band - Dust Prophet? Any specific meaning?
We just thought it was a cool name ha ha. We wanted to find a name that conjured a specific image related to the genre of Stoner/Doom Metal. We had a few preliminary ideas that eventually evolved into Dust Prophet.
We’re here to talk about your upcoming new album One Last Look Upon the Sky. What can people expect for this album?
First off, hopefully people don’t think it sucks! We have a lot of longer songs, in the 7,8 and even 9-minute range. So, a lot of epic compositions that we hope will take the listener on a hypnotic journey. We want the album to be something you can put on and go track by track with a specific ebb & flow.
What is the record all about and why did you call the album that?
The title of the album is taken from one of the lyrics I wrote, in our single Hourglass. Sarah pointed it out and we all liked the idea behind it, and the imagery it inspired.
What were the recording sessions like for the new album? Was this a hard album to write and record for?
I wouldn’t say it was hard but it was challenging…but in a good way! We wanted to layer lots of drums with additional percussion; guitars with organ and synth. We wanted to create an album that would be ideal for headphone listening & give the listener a real mind f*ck, with lots of melodies and even noise. The goal was lots of dynamics within each song.
I read within the PR Notes that this album took you 4 years to make when you were beset by roadblocks along the way. Was this a troubling process for you all and would you change anything about the whole experience about making this album?
There were times where we didn’t think the music would ever be released, and times Sarah and I thought we should just give up and try a different genre or band altogether. We were on the verge of doing that until we found Tyler. He injected new life into the band and gave us our mojo back. Once we had him on board, we focused on moving forward 100% but between previous members quitting abruptly, family struggles with health issues, Covid, and the day-to-day challenges of having a working career outside of music with all of us having families of our own, there were days where we felt like it was never going to happen. But yes, it was all worth it. Because if we hadn’t been through those challenges, I don’t think the three of us would’ve appreciated where we are today.
I love your new album and I admire how the album can be quite gothic and apocalyptic in places which isn’t surprising since you're including a wealth of different gothic writers and even biblical references within your lyrics but still being a proper WEEDIAN based album. Was that an easy decision to make to include themes such as those within your music?
Good question. For me, when it comes to the lyrical subjects it was a natural fit. I take inspiration from so many places, as you mentioned. The things I find interesting I just put to paper and work into the music. Sometimes I have to check with Tyler & Sarah to make sure they’re comfortable with some of the subject matter but so far so good
What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you all write the music together or do certain people within the band do that?
Typically, one or two of us will have some riffs pre-written and will “bring them” so to speak to the rest of the band. Sarah is a huge part of the writing process and she is responsible for writing probably 90% of the riffs on the album. She will bring a riff to practice, and she might have some additional parts and/or changes. We will jam on it and all three of us will craft and form those parts into a complete song. Although while 1 individual might be the source of the song writing, all 3 of us are involved when it comes to the completed version as its recorded. For the lyrics however, those are all me. I write all of the lyrics.
Who influenced you all musically for the new album?
We all have very different influences, and at the same time we all have similar influences. Sarah is hugely influenced by Frank Zappa and Prog-Rock for example; Tyler is influenced by NIN, Tool and other 90’s artists; I’m influenced by Ministry and lots of Industrial-Metal. But we all love Clutch and The Sword; We all like Rush. So, there’s all these different aspects that go into how we as individuals write and perform, yet also these OTHER influences that tie us all together. I hope that comes across in the music.
I love the different vocal styles on the album. Quite experimental in places. Was it challenging recording the different vocals on this album or did it all come naturally.
Thank you! And the majority of it comes naturally to me. But having said that, it was a challenge because I’m always trying to push myself. I want to always present different styles and voices for each song. Most of them I worked out in practice before tracking, but once I’m in the studio and have the chance to multi-track it gets my creative wheels going. I love coming up with different layers. Its something I’m pushing to experiment with even more on the new music we’re writing. As we develop musically as a band, I want the vocal layering & experimenting to develop as well.
Who designed the excellent artwork for the new album?
The one and only Mirko Masala! They’re an artist based in Germany and we LOVE their work. You can see more of what Mirko does at www.behance.net/mirkowgastow
Who is releasing the album and what formats it’s being released on?
We are releasing the album ourselves. It will be available in digital and physical format through our Bandcamp page. For physical product we will have CDs and will also be getting the album pressed on Vinyl, for the summer time. WE also are working on a potential distribution deal with a well-known indie label in the Stoner/Doom genre, but I’m not at liberty to elaborate on that at the moment.
How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?
I started playing guitar around the age of 12. It was when Nevermind was released, and I fell in love with Nirvana. That was the album that made me want to learn the instrument. A few years later I got into heavier bands & discovered industrial music. I love bands like Ministry and KMFDM and that pushed me to learn more about drum machines, sequencers and studio engineering. I just kept going deeper down the rabbit hole as I got into more types of metal and different underground artists. In many ways I still feel like that 12-year-old kid who thinks the sky is the limit when it comes to be creative and finding new influences.
What is the current state of the Manchester, New Hampshire Rock/Metal scene? Do you perform gigs on a regular basis and do you have a local scene that you're actively involved with?
Its slowly coming back to what it was in the mid-2000s. We used to have lots of venues that catered to live music, and in particular heavier bands. Over the last 10 years various venues have either shutdown, or decided to no longer book heavier bands (and some no longer book any bands at all, regardless of genre). And Covid contributed to the demise of several of these venues. But in the last year there have been more and more new venues popping up that are really supporting live music, so that’s been fun to see. There’s a LONG way to go but it’s heading in the right direction.
Will you be touring this album heavily in the future? If so, any plans you can share with us at this moment in time?
Oh yes! We plan on playing out a ton to support this album. We already have several shows for the early part of 2023 booked, and we’ve been confirmed to return to Maryland in June for the 2023 Maryland Doom Festival. There will be a lot more stuff getting booked as we continue to fill our 2023 schedule
Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans currently out there?
Thank you for believing in us and giving us this opportunity. We hope you enjoy the album and hope to see you at a show in 2023. Hopefully, it doesn’t suck lol
Words by Steve Howe and Otto Kinzel
Thanks to Curtis at C Squared Music for arranging the interview.
One Last Look Upon The Sky will be available to buy on CD/DD from January 27th 2023 with a Vinyl Release scheduled for next year.
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