Release date: Out Soon
Genre: Rock
Lineup:
David Lyon – Lead Vocals (Ashes of Eden)
Corey Petro – Guitar (Runaway Trains)
Scott Bickham – Guitar & Vocals (The Cunninghams)
Paul Yarnold – Bass & Vocals (Model Citizen)
Brian Cochran – Drums
Track Listing:
1. No Regrets
2. Drugstore Prophet
3. Lonely Girl
4. Love of Rock
5. 15 To Life
6. On Me
7. Farther Faster Higher
The band Custom has apparently been around the Seattle area for the better part of 12 years. That’s a long time to remain dedicated to the making of music, especially in this day and age. Of course, when you scratch the surface of your local scene you start to realize there are so many bands that have been doing it for decades, never necessarily “getting anywhere,” but loving what they do no matter what. It’s sad and inspiring all at the same time. Sad because some of those bands are a gazillion times better than the shit you hear on the radio. Inspiring in that they’ve found something they have a love and passion for that keeps them motivated to do it all of these years later, with very little to show for it, perhaps. This is why I try to shine a light on the bands that maybe are hidden in the darkness of small clubs. Obviously Custom is the band this time.
One of the things I’m noticing about some of my favourite releases this year is the return to meat and potatoes hard rock. Stripping it down to guitar, bass, drums, and vocals and songs that are straightforward is something that a lot of bands these days seem to be losing focus on. They want to astound the ears with too many notes and duelling solos. The roots of rock started out very simple, and when a band can take that, bring it to the modern world, and still make it catchy as hell, that’s when you know you have a winner. Brace For Impact, the newest from Custom, is just that. It’s got grit, soul, and spirit, and it has some killer songs. “Love of Rock,” “Drugstore Prophet,” and “On Me” show that Custom has honed their craft as a bar band over the years into a well-oiled machine capable of writing some memorable songs. Hooks galore, a great rock voice, and the ability to be high energy and take it down into the dirt with some great grooving blues.
This is my first time checking out their music, but I’m going to have to seek out more. They might never make it any further than they currently have, but it won’t be from lack of trying and lack of talent. This is a “local” band that could easily become global (pun intended.) This might not be the best of the year for me, but Brace For Impact is a pretty damn amazing record.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10
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