Dusted Angel This Side Of The DIrt Review
Dusted Angel
This Side Of The Dirt
Heavy Psych Sounds Records
2025
Occasionally, I stumble on a record that feels like a time capsule cracked open in the middle of the present day. Dusted Angel’s “This Side of the Dirt” is exactly that kind of record, earthy, riff-driven, and just dirty enough around the edges to remind you that Rock ’n Roll is supposed to have some dirt under its fingernails. This isn’t a record for people who want everything polished to a mirror shine. This is for the folks who live for the dive bar jukebox, who know the bartender by name, and who understand that a little distortion and dust is the spice of life.
The record hits with a swagger that borrows equally from Punk, Stoner, and classic Heavy Rock. The riffs are thick and lumbering, but never monotonous, each track has its own personality while keeping a consistent mood that ties the whole album together. You can feel the weight in the low end, that swampy groove that pulls you down like quicksand, and the drums hit with that loose but locked-in feel that keeps everything rolling forward.
Vocally, there’s this raw, unfiltered delivery that doesn’t bother with theatrics. It’s real, lived-in, and matches the music’s vibe like a worn-out denim jacket matches a whiskey-stained floor. You don’t feel like these guys are trying to reinvent the wheel, but that’s not the point. The point is they ride the wheel, take it through the mud, and hand it back to you dripping and rattling.
On paper, “This Side of the Dirt” is a Stoner Rock album, but it’s the kind of Stoner Rock made for blasting in a rusty hot rod on cassette or 8-track. It’s heavy without suffocating you and raw without being sloppy. Ultimately, it is just a damn good listen for anyone who still believes that Rock N’ Roll is still king.
Standouts – “Death Crushes Hope”, “Redman”, “The Thorn” and “Seeking Dawn”