8 Inch Rust

As Friends Rust released a two song 7 inch last year, and it was easily one of my favorite records of 2020. I listened to that thing a ton, and I never got tired of it. In fact, those two songs stoked the flame of obsession, and before too long I was revisiting the older As Friends Rust stuff over and over again. I was desperate to add a couple of their EPs to my collection, but the quest proved to be more difficult than I expected. Apparently, sellers in the US for As Friends Rust records are few and far between, and if I wanted immediate satisfaction then I would have to resort to paying overseas shipping. As much as it pained me, I played it smart and played the waiting game. 18 months later, I got my first crack at this with a seller from the States, and I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

The self titled As Friends Rust EP was released in 1999 through Doghouse Records. For some reason, someone wanted to be as obnoxious as possible and they decided that an 8 inch record was the only way to go with this. Obviously the vinyl choice of psychopaths and perverts. Either way, the five songs on this record are fucking amazing. I don't know if I fully appreciated this at the time...I mean, I know that I enjoyed it, but now I'm fucking loving it.

There is a definite dip in sound quality with this 8 inch record. It sounds a bit muffled compared to the CD and digital streaming options... kind of like how picture discs sound. I'm not sure if it is due to this odd size, or if it is just my copy. I guess the only scientific way to be certain would be to also buy the blue vinyl pressing for this as well to check. I may have to add that to my Discogs want list, you know, for science.