Dust to Dust Sick
Released: June 03, 2003 Origination Year: 2003 Time: 52:32 Tracks: 12 Produced by: Rob Traynor Style: Studio Format: CD Enhancement: None Label: Click to Purchase Website: www.dusttodustmusic.com

Dust to Dust, for all intents and purposes, is really Brooklyn native Rob Traynor under a pseudonym. He wrote all the music and lyrics, he produced the album, he played guitars, he played the keyboards, he played the bass and after all that’s done, he even found time to sing. If he wanted to take up the skins, this would really be a one-man band.

If there is one thing The Rob Traynor Show has got going for itself in spades on Sick, it’s its uncanny ability at finding the hook. Songs like “Pusher,” “Shame” and “High” are infectious in their ability to grab the listener while the title track, with a thick bottom end and commercial sensibility simply screams, “play me on the radio, dammit!”

Unfortunately, just as there are catchy, cool tracks to be found, there are also a number of songs that feel like they were thrown in just to fill space. “Fix On,” with its Korn-inspired keyboards and drum loops is repetitive and bland while “SupaDupaMachoMan,” despite its intent on being a tongue-in-cheek affair, is too uninteresting for me to forgive the retarded title.

Another thing about Sick is that I keep getting this nagging feeling I’ve heard a lot of it somewhere before. To be sure, Traynor wears his heart, and his influences, on his sleeve. Touches of Sevendust, Machine Head, as well as John Bush-era Anthrax can be heard, especially in the vocals. And something else, something completely unexpected, was creeping through the notes: hair metal. Now, don’t go thinking Traynor’s about to bust out the hairspray and leather chaps, but there is definitely influence there, if on a more subconscious level. I find this to be a highpoint, rather than a detriment in his musical arsenal, as it gives the mostly hard-edged material an occasional softening that, without it, would be much more likely to bore me in the long run.

And, that cover and layout are still a sticking point with me. Not for any style preferences but I really wasn’t expecting what I got. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Upon first glance, I was led to believe this was some sort of Hardcore meets Machine Head meets Biohazard ‘roid-ripped “you lookin’ at me?!” album when it’s really not. It’s definitely got some balls but it’s a lot more than that and I think Traynor cuts himself off from potential new listeners right out of the gate. Layout and design alone an album do not make, but in a business that has apparently closed it doors on one of its own (the band was dropped by its label following their first release and Traynor had to fund this one himself), it doesn’t hurt to make sure every option is explored and exploited.

Borrowing shamelessly from my brother Dw., this band feels like its in something of a time-warp. Had this album been released about seven or eight years ago, when bands like Korn and Sepultura were breaking ground during Nu-Metal’s infancy, I sincerely believe Dust to Dust would have made some serious waves and Rob Traynor wouldn’t have had to resort to self-releasing it on his own label. And that’s a shame because, despite a few clunker songs that shouldn’t have made the cut, and that feeling of having heard this before, it’s a pretty good listen that probably won’t get the attention it deserves.