Son Of Rust

The little boy raised by machines has grown a name for himself and finally it is being heard. Portland-based Son of Rust has always been adept in proving to be a unique taste in the scene while fusing it with heaping amount of geek. They made their debut on MP3.com and released an album in '05 entitled "Six Years of Gene Therapy".

Now they are back with "Vicious Cycles". It is a passionate composition which portrays the view of self freedom along with its unsettling definition through the perception of a mindset that we all have accepted and forgotten. Are we truly free or are we strung up like marionettes to submit our will and faith? It pummels their debut with 12 beautifully lined tracks (no fillers) that finally provide us with a personal insight into their world. Musically the new album appears to be more influenced from their live performances than ever and you can still dance to its high tempo beats or sip it down and "crap yourselves, in a good way". Son of Rust has come a long way fast and with this album: they finally have made a lasting impact in the scene that will carry them onwards.

Track Review:

1: Welcome to Chaos 10/10
The anticipated intro “welcome to chaos, do you recognize me?” forcefully drags you into their thoughts. This track introduces old and new fans to the improvements that Son of Rust has gained since the 6 years.

2: The World You Live In 5/10
Dark beats carry this track into an emotional ending, however to get there is quite repetitive. The chorus is the weakest part which unfortunately ruins the track but it is still playable.

3: The Highest Cost 10/10
This is an outstanding single; you will remember the lyrics and begin to sing them over and over again. Danceable beats, grinding guitar work and lush vocals. It more than makes up for the previous track. You stand up to give it your all but at what cost?

4: Violator 8/10
The pace is brought down and frontman Justin Coope continues to shine his with range of vocal abilities. This track brings us into submission as we are violated by the illusion of the violator.

5: Discordia 10/10
Drowning pianos ignite the emotion behind this track which paints such as strong vision of this place. It is an incredible track, very moving.

6: Vicious Cycles 9/10
This track is very diverse as it ties in the concept behind the entire album. Very enjoyable to listen to.

7: Just Once 10/10
The irony behind this track is that it almost wasn’t included on the album, yet the feedback to come out of it has been very positive. This track is one of my favourites. Anyone can relate to it, but this song hit a very special spot for me. “How can such a simple thing mean so much? I need to feel you...” Everything in life is an experience and some experiences we wish would last forever, but we would be just as content if we were able to experience something or someone just once.

8: Scream 9/10
This is an anthem for the masses. If you have not been taken over by the concept by now, this track will take you there.

1: Falling Down 10/10
He went from flipping burgers to falling down. I am very glad that Son of Rust decided to do a minimal vocal track. This track is an exceptional portrayal of their musical talent.

10: Alien Taste 8/10
A track of encouragement that tries to comprehend and share everything. What do we do with these alien thoughts?

11: To Be Free 10/10
Who are the free? What does it mean free? This track builds up from the start raises our drinks in the air. It is a celebration of freedom aimed at the slaves.

12: /*endGame[recursion]*/ 9/10
After a moment of silence, the ocean is heard. The conclusion and the beginning of another beautiful tragedy. It is the sum of all of the album titles.

- VampireFreaks.com

Is it 1986 already? Seriously, Son of Rust (http://www.sonofrust.com) are one of those acts that will take you back the Batcave, when obscure records from weird bands such as Clan of Xymox and Specimen would pack the dance floor. To Son of Rust's credit, they are using modern equipment; the music doesn't sound dated even though they are utilizing styles in vogue more than two decades ago.

Son of Rust are fine by me; I'm always a sucker for a toe-tapping gothic-rock platter, especially with tracks as catchy as "The Highest Cost" and "Scream," my personal pick. In contrast to those flaming emo dimwits corrupting alternative rock, Son of Rust's cyborg disco and Bela Lugosi singing is like a chill wind blowing through a furnace. And Son of Rust actually do it better than most of their contemporaries. Unlike other young groups that would rather deafen us into submission, Son of Rust craft actual pop hooks. "Just Once," for instance, has larger-than-life synthesizers that are really infectious; you can't stop listening to them.
Comparisons -- Depeche Mode, Machines of Loving Grace, Nine Inch Nails, etc. -- are easily drawn, and I'm sure Son of Rust are quite aware of that. To their credit, listening to "Vicious Cycles" didn't make me want to put on their heroes afterward because my goth fix was sufficiently taken care of.
- WhisperinandHollerin.com

SON OF RUST is the Portland-based solo project by Justin Coope, who likes to present us his already second and self-released full-length CD. Surely not at all a bloody greenhorn, since Justin could already open some events mostly in his area for global scene-players like A23, INFORMATION SOCIETY or IRIS. Also a strong friendship on MySpace and several playlist entries speak for his growing rule in the Industrial scene. Musically “Vicious Cycles” offers an electronic-driven outfit being infiltrated with some Rock-like guitar sounds and Justin’s charismatic vocal performance. Synth-/Futurepop with edges, luckily without the plastic-sugar-sweet-kind – so it can be named, too. The given references on DEPECHE MODE, MESH, IRIS, NIN and/or IMPERATIVE REACTION aren’t to far away from topic, I also tend to compare especially Justin’s timbre with the non-effected voice of Gary Zon (DISMANTLED), while Justin is definitively more talented. 12 quality tracks following some fine compositional guide lines without any filler are presented here. However, some favorites like “Welcome To Chaos”, “Just Once” or “Another Beautiful Tragedy” have to be named to be the best danceable tunes, while the mid-tempo pieces like “The Highest Cost”, “Violator” (what a title...) and the majestically “To Be Free” totally convince and proof Justin’s fine nose for a needed catchy composition. Even if this release is a self-produced one, it has to be praised for its kind, sound and the good artwork printed in a digi-pack. This is a fine and constant good release for the Synth-/Alternative-Pop genre, thumbs up!
Review by: Marc Tate
- Chain D.L.K.