Screaming Trees - Dust

Released in July 1996, Dust stands as the seventh and final studio album by the Ellensburg, Washington-based Screaming Trees. Coming four years after their breakout Sweet Oblivion, the record finds the band—led by the incomparable, baritone growl of Mark Lanegan and the psychedelic guitar wizardry of Gary Lee Conner—at the absolute height of their powers. While their peers in the Seattle scene were leaning into grunge, the Screaming Trees looked further back and deeper inward, crafting a "harder-edged sound" that seamlessly blended heavy rock with folk, blues, and Eastern-tinged psychedelia.

Produced by George Drakoulias, Dust is a sonically rich experience that replaces the raw angst of the early 90s with a swirling, atmospheric density. The album is anchored by the hit single "All I Know," a driving rock anthem that showcases the band's gift for powerful melody. However, it is in the deeper cuts like "Halo of Ashes" (featuring an electric sitar) and the hauntingly beautiful "Sworn and Broken" where the album's true legacy lies. With additional contributions from Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) on mellotron and organ, the record carries a timeless, classic-rock weight that few of their contemporaries could match.

This vinyl edition is the perfect way to hear the intricate layers of the Conner brothers' instrumentation and Lanegan’s "whiskey-soaked" vocal delivery. Often cited by fans and critics as the band's finest hour, Dust is a grand, sweeping departure for a band that never quite fit into a single box. It remains an essential artifact of the 90s alternative era—a dusty, beautiful, and heavy goodbye from one of rock’s most underrated outfits.