RUSTY BONEZ – Brainworm

Athens, Greece based Groove Metal quartet Rusty Bonez are releasing their sophomore album this month titled Brainworm, with a sound reminiscent of some Grunge era bands from the 90s. As a follow up to 2017’s Wrath, the band offers some catchy riffs and sounds that seem instantly familiar. Vocalist Nondas Emmanoui’s voice has an almost eerie similarity to the late Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave), which compliments the bands Grunge/Metal style.

Welcome Back To The 90s

Rusty Bonez – Brainworm has some songs with straight ahead Rock beats, while while other tracks have odd time signatures more common in Prog Rock and Metal. The guitars have a good sound, and like Grunge seem almost devoid of guitar solos. The songs are interesting, and easy to listen to for the most part. The album was recorded at Devasoundz Studios, produced by Fotis Benardo and mastered by George Nerantzis (Abbath, Dark Funeral, Pain of Salvation, Gus G).

Final Notes

The bottom line on this record is that that it feels like it’s all been done before, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if everything is done well. One can’t help but think it’s Chris Cornell one you make the connection between the two singers, and notice the same phrasing, and vocal idiosyncrasies. One thing that can be annoying on the record is the strange sound of the hi-hat cymbals on many of the tracks (like the opening cut), which sound over processed to the point of sounding fake, and over-dithered. This can be a deal breaker for some listeners as it makes the overall sound suffer. This is strange considering that the rest of the production is very solid. That said, Rusty Bonez – Brainworm does have some catchy tunes, which Grunge and Groove Metal fans might enjoy.

 Rusty Bonez Lineup

• Nondas Emmanouil – vocals
• Harris Kanellopoulos – guitar
• Jojos Silivridis – bass
• Alex Kollias – drums

Brainworm – Tracklist

1. Nowhere
2. Drive
3. If
4. Rain
5. Do You Remember?
6. Pile of Stones
7. Miles Away
8. Brainworm
9. Hold your Breath
10. Someday
11. Shadows of Faith