With “retro rock” being a hot commodity at the moment, it seems that young bands are oozing out of the woodwork to jump on the trend. Phoenix, AZ musical veterans however, aren’t another young bandwagon jumping band of the moment. It’s a lifelong passion with this quartet that was formed a few years ago, just to “jam around for fun,” but ultimately, turned into a serious project about a year ago. ““There are some really great bands out there right now with that 70s style sound. But KINGS OF DUST is first generation stuff. We were all there when it was a “sound” the first time around, so I think it’s very authentic, seeing as this is what we grew up listening to,” says bassist and co-founder, Greg Chaisson. The band boasts a pedigree of musicians from two Jake. E. Lee bands (Badlands and Red Dragon Cartel) as well as 2000’s glam rock heroes Crash Street Kids and late 80s / early 90s heavy hitters Surgical Steel (mentored by the one and only Rob Halford).
But the band aren’t about resting on their laurels, they’re here to give the public a relevant album for 2020. “The album isn’t your run of the mill collection of three chord based love songs and “standing up to ‘the man’” type anthems,” says frontman Michael Thomas Beck, “The song subjects vary from parents teaching their kids the rules of life to not letting your emotions get the best of you. Positive messages brought to life by a veteran group of musicians who don’t abide by the three chord rock theory.”
Recorded throughout the spring and summer of 2019 and mixed throughout the fall at SoundVision Recording in Mesa in Mesa, AZ, the self titled release was produced by Greg Chaisson, mixed by Michael Thomas Beck and mastered by Brad Vance (Rainbow, Graham Bonnet, Ritchie Blackmore, Warrant, etc) at Red Mastering in Newbury Park, CA. Kicking off with the album’s lead single, “Like an Ocean” – a song that speaks of your own relevance and control of emotion, “What’s the Other” is a tale of self motivation (‘or lack thereof!” laughs Beck), “Ugly,” in contrast, refers to times when the need of the dark side can be an asset to one’s well being.
