Imagine a dead meadow (yes, that Dead Meadow). Now imagine the spirit of one of three stoners rocking out in said pasture drifted from his corporeal form and sank into the pit below, where he picked up a fallen black angel (yes, The Black Angels) before gathering three other kindred spirits and setting off on a journey through Americana wasteland. That’s kind of what happened when Dead Meadow vocalist/guitarist Jason Simon joined with former Black Angels bassist/guitarist Nate Ryan, his fellow Shine Brothers Oak Munson and Ryan Rapsys, and harmoniumist Jessica Senteno to form Old Testament. One sold-out seven-inch and several loose (railroad) tracks later, the band is now revving up for the September release of their self-titled debut album.

This second single off Old Testament finds the five spectral vagabonds in “Trip Light” mode, that is, holed up in a desert saloon, taking refuge from spinning dust devils, and washing back the bitter taste of peyote with straight bourbon whiskey while engaged in a hand of high-stakes poker with Neil Young’s Dead Man. Or is it a gunfight? At any rate, even if you can’t hear the dried-out tumbleweeds death-rattling by, you damn sure can feel ‘em, all the way down to your trembling skeleton.

Old Testament will be shoveled up from American soil on September 9 by Xemu Records, with a UK release on Cardinal Fuzz/Evil Hoodoo to follow sometime in mid-October. Until then, “Trip Light.”

• Old Testament: http://oldtestament.bandcamp.com

• Xemu Records: http://xemu.com