Track Premiere: Dust Prophet – “When the Axe Falls”

Dust Prophet single art

Fuzz rockers Dust Prophet formed in 2018 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Last year they released two singles displaying their thoughtful, varied approach to stoner metal and its adjacent subgenres. Halfway through 2022, the band shares their first single of the year as they prepare for their debut release. Don’t let the formal wear in their band photo trick you, because Dust Prophet kick up a sandstorm with their raucous riffs. Today Decibel Magazine exclusively shares their lethal new track “When the Axe Falls.”

Commencing with a martial drum beat from drummer Tyler MacPherson, the song quickly settles into an apocalyptic groove. Otto Kinzel’s voice invokes Neil Fallon of mid-discography Clutch while the band embraces psychedelic flourishes. Four minutes in, the track transcends into a contemplative segment driven by Sarah Wappler’s bass and a creative solo. Dust Prophet earn the song’s 6.5 minute run-time with a catchy chorus and dynamics that range from heavy peaks to the chiller (sky) valleys of Kyuss.

“Musically, “When the Axe Falls” is another song our bassist Sarah Wappler came up with,” comments vocalist/guitarist Otto Kinzel. “She is our primary songwriter and “Harvester of Riffs,” as we like to say. She wrote the primary riffs you hear in the verse and chorus. From there as a band, we jammed on it and fleshed out the arrangements and structure.

“Lyrically,” Kinzer continues, “the song is about the infamous Axeman of New Orleans, an unidentified serial killer from the early 1900s. He was active from 1918-19 and killed 6 people. One of his peculiarities was that he sent a letter to the local press and demanded that all the residents in NOLA needed to play jazz music loudly at night from their homes. If they did that, he wouldn’t commit any murders. Hence the line in the chorus “To Save Your Life I need to Hear the Sound I Crave.” True to his word, there were no murders that night.”

Press play below and blast it loud or succumb to the blade.

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Dust Prophet band photo