Any Joy

The end of the year is fast approaching, and I've been doing the bare minimum with this blog since this past summer... so if I want to pull together a solid End Of Year post, I've got to get some shit up here quickly. Let's see if I can hold on to some level of commitment for the next couple of weeks.

Those singles from As Friends Rust in the early 2000's easily make my list of favorites from that period... and when they reunited and released a new two song 7 inch in 2020, I listened to them more than any other songs that year. Fuck. I still go back to them often. So when I heard that they had a rew record, Any Joy, due out this year, I jumped in to order the more limited shit.

I really like the look of the special screen printed cover that End Hits did. Nice heavy card stock that wraps around the regular cover... but man, that skull and bones with the blue print looks so good.

Number 27 out of 130 on the shittiest looking clear vinyl you can imagine.

When I first listened to the album, I was a bit underwhelmed. I was expecting this thing to hook me quick, and maybe it is because I just wanted to listen to different shit, but this initially didn't do it for me. Recently though... with a few more listens under my belt... goddamn, this record is so good. The music and melodies... the smart lyrics... this record gives me everything I want from As Friends Rust. Perfect.

Jumping in to the End Hits store as soon as preorders opened up, I quickly grabbed a test press along with the screened cover version. Nothing too exciting with the plain black cover with white text, and it isn't even numbered, but I'm still happy to own one because I love this record so much. Test press is limited to 35.

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.

Third Press Rust

When I picked up the new As Friends Rust 7 inch last month and posted about it here, I talked a bit of shit about how ridiculous record pressings are these days. Within a month of it's release, the Up From The Muck record was already in it's third pressing with six different colored vinyl options. I mentioned that I was happy to be out of that bullshit game, and I was satisfied with the one copy that I bought. I'm fucking dumb.

Man, I didn't expect to like these two new As Friends Rust songs this much. I cannot get enough of them, and I'm itching for more from the band. When I was recently in the REVHQ store to pick up the new Sick Of It All book, I noticed they had the third press of this new record in their store, with an alternate cover, and I must have had some kind of aneurysm or something because suddenly the idea of buying this pressing seemed like the best idea ever.

The third pressing was on random/recycled vinyl, and the photo posted at REVHQ was this great looking purple color...so of course I was less than impressed when my dull dark grey colored vinyl arrived.

Two copies isn't a collection, but I don't really want to buy anymore of this record...especially when dipshit sellers are listing them on Discogs with a $30 price tag...but what am I doing with two copies of this? Still, it is one of my favorite 7 inches this year.

As Friends Muck

Earlier this year, No Echo posted an article about As Friends Rust and previewed their first new song in nearly 20 years. I loved this band during their run in the early 2000's, but I didn't have high expectations for their new songs in 2020. I was skeptical that they would still have that same spark that attracted me to the band back in the day, but after checking out Up From The Muck, I was eager to preorder the new record.

Two songs here on this 7 inch, and As Friends Rust haven't missed a step. This record is great and it has me dusting off the older records from the band, and I've been listening to this shit on repeat lately.

Because this is 2020, there are a ridiculous number of pressings for this 7 inch. Everyone seems to have their own limited pressing...Cortex, Revelation, Cargo (?), and one exclusive to the band. The record was released a month ago and it is already in it's third pressing. Glad I don't try to keep up with this bullshit anymore, and I stuck with the yellow vinyl from REV. Limited to 100.

Double Rust

As Friends Rust have a new record due out soon. It has been nearly 20 years since the band's last record, so while I am approaching their new 7 inch with caution, I've been having a blast going back and dusting off their back catalog.

As I was revisiting the older As Friends Rust material, it dawned on me that I didn't own a single piece of vinyl from the band. Seeing how much I was currently enjoying them, I knew that I needed to fix this situation as soon as possible.

As much as I was enjoying revisiting As Friends Rust, I didn't expect that their records would be too difficult to track down. I assumed that I could jump on Discogs and grab their entire collection at dirt cheap prices...I assumed wrong. Their records aren't going to break the bank, but it was tougher than I thought it would be as there just aren't a lot of sellers with As Friends Rust records available...and if they are available, they are from overseas sellers.

It isn't an immediate crisis to pick up these records right now, so it looks like I will have to play the waiting game for most of them, however I did find one US seller with a copy of the God Hour double 7 inch available. God Hour? What the fuck is God Hour? I'd never heard of this before...but upon closer inspection, I can see that it is just a repackaged Euro pressing of the self titled EP on Doghouse.

I have no idea why this is titled God Hour, as those words don't show up anywhere printed on the record or the packaging...either way, I love these songs. This record is probably tied with the Young Trophy Band record as my favorite As Friends Rust release. Both of them have been seeing a lot of time on my daily playlists lately, so I'm looking forward to the new 7 inch from the band, to see if they can still deliver.

500 pressed on the blue and green colored vinyl.