October Rust is quite possibly the perfect album for autumn. Here, Steele et al hone their gothic rock chops and stray away – for the most part – from the doom metal and punk elements that coursed through their first few records. I read somewhere that Pete Steele wanted more “chicks” to be fans of the band, and that says it all with this album.
The production is cold and dense, and the gorgeous keyboard playing leads most if not all of these songs. Steele’s vocals and bass are heavily prominant, the latter having a washed out chorus effect over it which is bizarre but it works with the overall vibe.
Aside from the big hits as it were, it has been some considerable time since I revisited a lot of the tracks on this record, but I’m glad that I did, in time for Halloween, and in time the for golden leaves to fall in their thousands.