Album Review: Rust Proof - 'Civil Treason'

Hardcore bands like Rust Proof really are a dime a dozen, and yet these guys are surprisingly good, with no bullshit, even when considering the over saturation of bands. To be clear, an over-saturated market doesn’t mean there can’t be good bands, quite the opposite really, but you do need to stand out.

'Civil Treason', which is out through 1054 in Australia and even across parts of Europe (through places like Beatdown Hardwear and FWH), does have an element of brevity to it. It doesn’t over stay its welcome and there’s not that much filler to be found throughout. It’s just eight songs of pure, heavy hardcore. Do with that what you will.

Equally, there's not too much to analyse as we're sure you'll know what you're in for before pressing play. However, let’s give the blokes some cred. Rust Proof are actually far heavier than one might expect from a hardcore band. The screams and yells sometimes delve into death metal territory, which is an ideal change of pace, while the grooves and riffs (both of which are truly engaging) remain in that crushing, metallic hardcore zone, thus creating this delectable blend of the two closely-linked, yet (still) different styles.

Furthermore, the production and overall mix are each solid, but not too polished, helping lean this release towards the underground, DIY method and ethos bands like this take to heart. It’s the perfect point between recording your album on a fucking potato and having the engineer sample and replace the whole damn drum kit so he or she can fix the guitars with a mixture of Decapitator, Pod Farm and whatever else is at their disposal. It's real, it's gritty, and it's vile as all hell. We mean that in the best possible way, too.

Look, we’ll give it to you straight - Rust Proof have some pretty good hardcore tunes that you’ll dig the absolute fuck out of if you enjoy bands like Terror, Crowned Kings, and Outright.

1. Civil Treason

2. Fortified

3. RIP

4. The Wretched Pit

5. The Stand off

6. Savage And Sage

7. The Poacher

8. Mask Of Anarchy