As Friends Rust are set to release their new album ‘Any Joy,’ on September 8th on End Hits Records. Today, the melodic hardcore band shares third single ‘No Gods, Some Masters,’ a gruff track addressing the need for political and social activism versus the occurrences of daily life. Over swirling guitars the band refrains “We care, but not so much”, not afraid to give a too real declaration of what many think but might not proclaim.
Speaking on the lyrics, vocalist Damien Moyal states: “We rush through our days tackling to-do lists, only glancing peripherally at the onslaught of injustices happening around us. To the dismay of our younger selves, most of us are not living in squats, creating, inspiring or fighting in the streets. We’re tired, distractible and willfully bound to careers, property and creature comforts. We want to show solidarity, to lend our voices to those who need them, but seem to favor the demands of our personal lives. ‘No Gods, Some Masters’ is about reconciling good intentions with inaction.”
On ‘Any Joy,’ As Friends Rust have created an impactful seven songs, marking their first new music since 2020 and first full album since 2001. Originally formed in the late ‘90s, As Friends Rust has been through a few iterations, but it is the core line-up of vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Joseph Simmons, guitarist James Glayat, and drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick that are creating thought-provoking melodic punk music for the modern age. Not currently having a permanent bassist, the band called upon friend Andrew Seward (of Against Me!) to play bass on most of the record, with additional contributions from Simmons. The record is focused, confrontational, and catchy, packing lyrics with bite and rhythms to move along with. The album was mixed by James Paul Wisner in Orlando, FL, and mastered by Matthias Lohmöller in Germany.
‘Any Joy’ Tracklist:
1. Final Form
2. Positive Mental Platitude
3. See Us Now
4. Great Filter
5. The Walking Debt
6. Origin Stories
7. No Gods, Some Masters
The band will perform at The Fest in Gainesville this October, have a show in Brooklyn, NY in November and a European tour alongside Calling Hours, the new band from Popeye of Farside, starting September 29th.
*with Calling Hours
September 29th – Alter Stattbahnhof – Schweinfurt, Germany
September 30th – Indra – Hamburg, Germany
October 1st – Conne Island – Leipzig, Germany
October 02nd – Kavka – Antwerpen, Belgium
October 03rd – Boston Music Room – London, UK
October 04th – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden,Germany
October 05th – Gebäude 9 – Köln, Germany
October 06th – Hansa 39 – München, Germany
October07th – Willemeen – Netherlands Arnhem
October 28th – The Fest – Gainesville, FL
November 18th – Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY