RSTR
We were recently contacted by RSTR (pronounced Rooster) about their album Happens, to see what we thought of things. Not giving a lot away about themselves, the band are letting the music do all of the talking that’s needed, something I always admire in a band as all too often we get bogged down in information. Self produced and out there to be heard, I was looking forward to seeing what they’d come up with.
Opening with Around The World we’re transported to a calm and collected place, a place where the guitar does all of the work and crafts a serene and soothing sound around you – but not for long. Soon picking up the pace, the band hammer into a melee of distortion, power and hammering drums whilst managing to keep the sense of melody and rhythm running through things. I love the raw sound of this track, it’s got that real live feel to it which suggests that what you’re hearing is what you’re going to get on the live scene, something which is all too often lost in recordings. Somehow combining a sense of punky rawness with the urgency of metal, this is a hell of an opening track which suggests damned good things are to follow on.
Early Clap follows on and keeps with the soft opening theme, once again keeping things soothing from the start before beginning to pick up the pace of things. There’s elements of drama within the track here, combining a raucous vocal line with the more soothing one over a restrained backing – the result being a contrast which keeps the track alive and interesting. Citizens Arrest changes this slightly with a more frantic approach to things, opening with a more upbeat tempo and launching into the sort of track which is going to get people moving from the off. Once again the guys have managed to capture the essence of their live show in the recording, keeping an element of rawness within things and making sure that the music doesn’t sound overly polished or produced. I particularly liked the changing time signatures on this track, adding something to it which keeps the track moving and makes it intriguing throughout, the syncopated elements showing off a more advanced side to their music.
Snappin’ Spines moves us into a new territory, this time a place which is more offbeat and more out there, showing that they’re not afraid to go in their own direction when the mood takes them. This is a similar feeling to later track Twice, once again showing that this album is all about showcasing the sound of the band, allowing the listener the chance to hear all of the different sides of things and showing that when they want to, the band can produce tracks which will make you seriously think about what you’re hearing. Nadia on the other hand is a much more conventional track, opening with a soft guitar line before hammering into another melee of chunky drums, soaring guitar lines and roving vocal moments, all working together to form a track which once again, stands out as one which will go down well on the live scene. This is one of my own personal favourite moments on the album, there’s just something about this track which holds a lot of potential.
Street Rd. comes up next in our journey through the RSTR’s album, once again showing off their more punky side and kicking up the pace to the sort of thing which is going to get you moving, get the room pumping and make you want to get out to see them live. Raw and, at times, powerful, this track may well be short but it does what it says on the tin – gets you moving and involved with the album. Nice Pun, Henry is a strange moment on the album, almost slowing things down but retaining the sense of raw power within the music – something a lot of bands struggle to do. This slowed down approach is a mere distraction from the key elements of the track, soon resuming the pace and once again showing that if you want to really understand and feel this music then you need to get out to see the band live – something which I think I’m going to have to try and do at some point.
Shirt And Tie is another serious highpoint on the album, once again showing off their more punk roots but this time adding a Foo Fighters melody over the top to create a sound which sounds familiar yet new. This is the sort of track which really stands out on an album like this as simply, it’s a step up from normality. Throwing in a catchy chorus to keep you guessing, soon enough you’re through the track and heading towards the final moments of Happens with title track, Happens. Slower once again, this final track on the album closes proceedings and leaves you wondering how they’re going to follow a sound like this, this is a band that I’ll be interested to hear more from.
I’m not going to say this album is perfect, as simply it’s not and more importantly, I don’t think it’s meant to be. What you’ve got here is a band who have worked to create and produce their own album, and have come away with something which showcases their work. With a bit of time and dedication, I think that there’s a lot of potential for RSTR, and look forward to hearing more of what they can do!
To find out more about RSTR, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Around The World we’re transported to a calm and collected place, a place where the guitar does all of the work and crafts a serene and soothing sound around you – but not for long. Soon picking up the pace, the band hammer into a melee of distortion, power and hammering drums whilst managing to keep the sense of melody and rhythm running through things. I love the raw sound of this track, it’s got that real live feel to it which suggests that what you’re hearing is what you’re going to get on the live scene, something which is all too often lost in recordings. Somehow combining a sense of punky rawness with the urgency of metal, this is a hell of an opening track which suggests damned good things are to follow on.
Early Clap follows on and keeps with the soft opening theme, once again keeping things soothing from the start before beginning to pick up the pace of things. There’s elements of drama within the track here, combining a raucous vocal line with the more soothing one over a restrained backing – the result being a contrast which keeps the track alive and interesting. Citizens Arrest changes this slightly with a more frantic approach to things, opening with a more upbeat tempo and launching into the sort of track which is going to get people moving from the off. Once again the guys have managed to capture the essence of their live show in the recording, keeping an element of rawness within things and making sure that the music doesn’t sound overly polished or produced. I particularly liked the changing time signatures on this track, adding something to it which keeps the track moving and makes it intriguing throughout, the syncopated elements showing off a more advanced side to their music.
Snappin’ Spines moves us into a new territory, this time a place which is more offbeat and more out there, showing that they’re not afraid to go in their own direction when the mood takes them. This is a similar feeling to later track Twice, once again showing that this album is all about showcasing the sound of the band, allowing the listener the chance to hear all of the different sides of things and showing that when they want to, the band can produce tracks which will make you seriously think about what you’re hearing. Nadia on the other hand is a much more conventional track, opening with a soft guitar line before hammering into another melee of chunky drums, soaring guitar lines and roving vocal moments, all working together to form a track which once again, stands out as one which will go down well on the live scene. This is one of my own personal favourite moments on the album, there’s just something about this track which holds a lot of potential.
Street Rd. comes up next in our journey through the RSTR’s album, once again showing off their more punky side and kicking up the pace to the sort of thing which is going to get you moving, get the room pumping and make you want to get out to see them live. Raw and, at times, powerful, this track may well be short but it does what it says on the tin – gets you moving and involved with the album. Nice Pun, Henry is a strange moment on the album, almost slowing things down but retaining the sense of raw power within the music – something a lot of bands struggle to do. This slowed down approach is a mere distraction from the key elements of the track, soon resuming the pace and once again showing that if you want to really understand and feel this music then you need to get out to see the band live – something which I think I’m going to have to try and do at some point.
Shirt And Tie is another serious highpoint on the album, once again showing off their more punk roots but this time adding a Foo Fighters melody over the top to create a sound which sounds familiar yet new. This is the sort of track which really stands out on an album like this as simply, it’s a step up from normality. Throwing in a catchy chorus to keep you guessing, soon enough you’re through the track and heading towards the final moments of Happens with title track, Happens. Slower once again, this final track on the album closes proceedings and leaves you wondering how they’re going to follow a sound like this, this is a band that I’ll be interested to hear more from.
I’m not going to say this album is perfect, as simply it’s not and more importantly, I don’t think it’s meant to be. What you’ve got here is a band who have worked to create and produce their own album, and have come away with something which showcases their work. With a bit of time and dedication, I think that there’s a lot of potential for RSTR, and look forward to hearing more of what they can do!
To find out more about RSTR, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls