Home New England & Tri-State Music Hearing Aide: Cosmic Rust

Hearing Aide: Cosmic Rust

132
Hearing Aide: Cosmic Rust

The name Cosmic Rust conjures up ancient,
widespread, ethereal oxidation.  The
music of Cosmic Rust is new yet ancient (as is the best music); not widespread
yet, though the potential exists; more earthy than ethereal; and as for
oxidation—of course!

            I
love this sort of project—undertaken, worked on, and completed locally.  The CD has excellent, clear, sharp
sound—nothing dull or hazy.  Every thud, thump,
screech, and whisper is delivered clean. 
The band is modeled on the classic Power Trios of the late 60s early
70s.  I hear echoes of Grand Funk
Railroad, ZZ Top, Bad Company, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. 

            Here’s
the lineup.  On lead vocals we have Trevor
Blank, who also plays all the guitars and writes all the lyrics.  Trevor plays some of the angriest, grittiest
lead guitar I’ve heard in a long time. 
It’s just downright mean.  His
voice is pretty gritty too, but it’s not mean at all.  Chris Strebendt plays nimble bass and sings
backup.  He sometimes shadows Blank’s
guitar lines with his basswork, simultaneously playing the same notes, enhancing
the effect.  Thumping the drums is Mike
Jadlos.  I’ve seen Jadlos perform with
several different bands.  He pounds the
skins like he’s beating people up, yet on this recording he practices restraint,
contributing a steady propulsive beat along with rumbling fills.  The CD was recorded at Madstop Records,
located on the campus of SUNY Potsdam, engineered and mixed primarily by Olivia
Cole-Berry.  And the CD jacket is graced
by the artwork of the extraordinary all-round local artist Kira LaRose. 

            The
Cosmic Rust CD contains six songs and runs for roughly 30 minutes.  The band displays a remarkable range, always
keeping their sound strong and steady.  They
deliver rock, a bit of boogie, even solid blues.  “Dirty Hippie’ is played in the blues-rock
style of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black.”  Following is the brisk and biting “On Your
Own,” which features Blank’s growling vocals.  Next we learn that the singer’s had enough of “Combustible
People.”  A shaggy blues shuffle with a
big guitar, “Before it Gets Better” examines a not uncommon emotional
situation.  “Shake off that Rust” gives
good advice combined with a furious sonic climax.  The longest and individually the most
impressive piece instrumentally is “Moguls,” with its dynamic time signatures and
unexpected modulations.  Trevor tells me
that “Moguls” is the band’s favorite song. 

            Cosmic
Rust can be contacted via their website cosmicrustband.com or on their Facebook
page.  Buy their CD or see them live—or
better yet, both.  The whole show is
really superb.

Source: NYSmusic.com