Dust was one of the few American bands to try picking up the gauntlet, playing a progressive brand of proto-metal that was explicitly indebted to their British contemporaries. Formed around 1968, the group featured vocalist/guitarist Richie Wise and the teenaged rhythm section of bassist Kenny Aaronson (who also doubled on slide and steel guitars) and drummer Marc Bell; plus, Kenny Kerner served as the group's lyricist, manager, and producer. Dust released their self-titled debut album in 1971 on Neil Bogart's pre-Casablanca label Kama Sutra. The follow-up, 1972's Hard Attack, sharpened the band's edge and intensified the power of their approach; thus, it became the more sought-after of the pair by collectors interested in the roots of American metal. However, Dust would record only those two albums; Aaronson joined Stories in 1973, and Wise and Kerner became a production team, also working with Stories; the following year, they would go on to helm the first two Kiss albums. Aaronson, meanwhile, became a prolific session bassist and Bell later became part of the New York punk scene, joining up with Richard Hell & the Voidoids and then moving on to the Ramones (adopting the name Marky Ramone). ~ Steve Huey