The Erotics
Rubbish TrashPit Records

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: After releasing the surprisingly blistering 30 Seconds Over You last year, The Erotics are back with an eight-song CD called Rubbish, appropriately released by TrashPit Records. There are a multitude of bands pretending to fuse Punk and Classic Rock, but listening to about 12 notes from The Erotics and you’ll see they have that fusion down to a raucous science.

This New York quartet is propelled by lead singer/guitarist Mike Trash, who also pens all of the music. Trash’s vocals fall somewhere between Alice Cooper and AC/DC, and musically, The Erotics are noisy, melodic, snarling and above all else, hooky.

Rubbish starts off with “Dead Last in the Rat Race,” a frantic composition with off time rhythms (at the onset, anyway) and sheer Punk venom. Like most of their songs, this is an anthem about being pushed down and pushing back harder. Trash’s vocals are somehow full of melody while also gritty and abrasive. This is the soundtrack to every time you started drinking whiskey before 8 a.m.

“Push Comes to Death” is a louder, almost heavy metal anthem, with a deep groove and chugging riffs. You’ll even hear a little cowbell (or something similar) as Trash sings about you snorting blow while he shoves you out the window or down a staircase. It sounds like something Guns ‘N’ Roses could have written back when Axl was intent on releasing music.

The Classic Rock vibe comes on strong when you get to “Get Away From Me.” Trash tempers the edge in his vocals just a bit to almost give you a Southern Rock vibe, but of course, he still sneers in every note he sings. The guitar solo is pure blues, with Rachel Toxic playing slide guitar. With Buckcherry getting on the radio with songs about doing cocaine, crazy bitches and being too drunk to fornicate, this one could find its way to mainstream airplay as well.

When the band interviewed with Hardrock Haven last year, they said they aren’t influenced by Social Distortion in the least. That’s shocking, especially when you hear “Born to Let You Down,” a song dripping with Social D attitude and snarky lyrics. It’s clearly one of the best songs on Rubbish.

The CD ends with an AC/DC cover, “Walk All Over You.” This is the perfect AC/DC cover for The Erotics, and fits thematically on Rubbish better than any other AC/DC song. The Erotics update the composition, add tons of sleaze, and keep it honest to the original all at the same time. While most covers bore, this almost sounds like an original.

Being one of the best kept secrets in Rock N’ Roll isn’t a goal any band shoots for, but it’s clear that is where The Erotics are today. Hopefully, that changes due to Rubbish.

www.myspace.com/theerotics

www.trashpit.co.uk

Track Listing:
Dead Last in the Rat Race
Terrorize You
Push Comes to Death
Get Away from Me
Nobody Wants You Around
Born to Let You Down
Frustrated
Walk All Over You

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.3/10