Rust

Rust is the fifth album, on which Crashdïet kept glam/sleaze metal's flash while taking in a heavier air, as if carrying wounds. It's the first record with Gabriel Keyes, who joined in December 2017, released in September 2019 as their first new album in six years. Distorted guitar pushes the songs with sharp riffs, and the flashy choruses don't cancel the darkness but sound like light for getting out of it. Martin Sweet produced, and Chris Laney — who worked on the debut — mixed. On the fast songs, tight rhythm and big hooks throw sparks; on the mid-tempos, the urgency in the voice and the melodies' wistfulness come forward. The solos and lead phrases carry plenty of '80s pleasure while never missing the songs' emotional line. The pre-released “We Are the Legion,” “Reptile,” “Idiots” and “In the Maze” lead the way, and it doesn't slacken through the closing “Filth & Flowers.” The rusted texture the title suggests isn't mere dark staging — it evokes the fatigue and obsession beneath flashy rock's surface. A record balancing glitter and shadow that lets you hear their maturity.