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Elephant Watchtower
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Elephant Watchtower
Dust - Single

Album length: 1 track: 6 minutes, 44 seconds
Style: Metal
Street Date: December 16, 2022
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: AmazonMP3



Elephant Watchtower is a one-man progressive death metal project from Ontario, Canada. That one man, Peter Watson, clearly prefers to take his time with his music, as his newest single "Dust" came just over two years after the last one. But take a listen, and it'll be clear that it was time well spent.

Watson also takes the "one-man" thing seriously, if the Bandcamp credits for "Dust" are to be trusted, as each note, lyric, scream, and genre change were completely written, composed, and performed solo. And it's a wild ride filled with impressive riffs, engaging symphonic metal, and, of course, the occasional blast beat. There's even a jazzy, instrumental break in the second half that pulls back the intensity quite a bit and gives the song and listener time to breathe before coming back for one more round of pummeling. The song is the epitome of progressive death metal.

Watson's dynamic vocal range is incredibly impressive, too, with shrieking highs and raging gutturals that perfectly complement both the music and the serious and bold subject matter. If there's still a stigma about death metal being inherently Satanic, the lyrics ought to change one's mind. Watson makes the argument that, without God, it is impossible for life to have any objective significance. The song says that we would all just be "accidents, byproducts of matter and chance," and that "true purpose is lost if we reduce to dust / all meaning becomes subjective / in the absence of God we will rot, and our souls are lost." While some could say that this sounds like a rather hopeless song, the implication is that, because we believe in God, the exact opposite is true. We have hope and meaning, and our lives are valuable in His sight.

The wait between "That Which Defiles" and "Dust" was a bit lengthy, but it was indeed worth it. Watson has stated on social media that he aims to have a full-length Elephant Watchtower album out this year. Between that and the new music coming from Diatheke, a band for whom he recently became the vocalist, 2023 is looking like a promising year. In the meantime, "Dust" is available everywhere. If you've got seven minutes to spare, give it a listen!

- Review date: 1/27/23, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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. Record Label: None
. Album length: 1 track: 6 minutes, 44 seconds
. Street Date: December 16, 2022
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: AmazonMP3

  1. Dust (6:44)

 

 

 

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This Wednesday, August 13, 2025
ALBUMS
Various Artists Songs We've Been Trying To Tell You About (And Others We Haven't), Vol. 14 [JFH Music]

This Friday, August 15, 2025
ALBUMS
Mark Bishop Grandkids - EP [Sonlite]
The CCC Collective Brooklyn Culture (independent)
Equippers Worship Awe [DREAM Worship]
The Final Witness Beneath The Altar [Rottweiler]
Grammatrain Flying Collector's Edition CD [Girder]
Grammatrain Lonely House 30th Anniversary Edition CD [Girder]
Katy Nichole Honest Conversations [Centricity]
REFVGE REFVGE 1 [Syntax]
Relentless Pursuit Apocalypsis (independent)
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM]
Joel Vaughn Feel It - EP [DREAM]

SINGLES
ANTHNY no stages - Single [Provident]
Johan Åsgärde Coming Home - Single [Gotee]
Dave Barnes Everything But Mine - Single (independent)
Chris Caro Pain Pt. 3 - Single [Syntax]
Jeff Deyo There is a Fire - Single [NWN]
Drenae Dead Seed - Single [Syntax]
F'rael Pardon My Grace - Single [Syntax]
Jeremy and Adrienne Camp Worthy Of It All / I Exalt Thee (Jeremy and Adrienne Camp Version) - Single [Sparrow]
Linc Worship I Know - Single (independent)
Steven Malcolm All God - Single [Curb]
Jeannie Ortega Little Girl is Gone - Single [Syntax]
outr.cty Testin' Your Luck (ft. Selah the Corner & Dre Murray) - Single [Syntax]
Matt Redman Let Me See Jesus / Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (feat. Charity Gayle) - Single [Integrity]
Rhymes in Harmony Beautiful Name - Single [Syntax]
Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, & Elevation Worship So So Good (Live) - Single [Fair Trade]

VINYL
Grammatrain Flying Vinyl [Girder]
Grammatrain Lonely House 30th Anniversary Edition Vinyl [Girder]
Newsboys Going Public Vinyl [Girder]

Next Friday, August 22, 2025
ALBUMS
Lecrae Reconstruction [Reach]
Lizzie Morgan Not My Will [Provident]
Josiah Queen MT. ZION [Capitol CMG]

SINGLES
Dust and Grace Hallelujah - Single [MTS]
Good Weather Forecast Today (feat. Elijah Thomas) - Single [DREAM]
Roxanne Grace Try Again - Single [DREAM]
Mainstream Worship Invitation - Single [DREAM Worship]
V1 Worship Been So Faithful - Single [DREAM Worship]



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