The Crud is far from cruddy  

By HuiMusic.com  

The first thing that comes to mind when I heard the name “The Crud” was of course, crud. A dark and sludgy material that usually means you’re at the end of the line or at the bottom of the barrel. But I’m stoked to say that’s not what The Crud sounds like.  

I first heard about The Crud in May of this year during a Battle of the Bands contest at The Wave. After some time doing my thing, I traced down The Crud by virtue of their website and downloaded their mp3s. The first thing I thought of after listening to all the music was that The Crud really utilizes the influences the original alternative sounds of the early ‘90s. The alternative scene these days can mean anything now, but for us hard-core followers, you know I’m talking Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and S.T.P., to name a few.  

The Crud’s guitar arrangements and haunting vocals are intoxicating and is really the only band that I have heard that represents core alternative music; extremely original without a sell-out vibe.  

The players are Reut Evil (lead vocals and guitar); Jonny Croce (bass); and Justin Vincler (drums). Jason Woodburn will be stepping in as the lead guitarist while original guitarist Matt Webb is leaving the band to focus on his new family life with the birth of his first child (congratulations dude).  

The Crud has done exceptionally well for being a relatively new band on the streets. They formed in the summer of 2003 and have executed a solid tour on the East Coast within a year. This is a band on a mission!  

The Crud are now hunkering down and have started production on their soon-to-be-released CD titled “Antidote”.  Along with Reut Evil, the CD is being co-produced by Steve Escalier, who is the chief engineer at Vibe Asylum studios on Oahu . Steve’s credits are a reassuring comfort to anyone who works with him. Steve has worked with the legends of our time such as Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Fleetwood Mack, Bill Cosby, Alice Cooper, Waylon Jennings, the Gin Blossoms and The Meatpuppets, to mention a few. You know that your tracks are going to come out tight working with Steve!  

So far all is going well, according to Reut Evil. They’re looking at a mid-December release with a blistering show schedule that will rip right through to the New Year. Of the few venues that support Rock in Hawaii , The Crud has played at most of them. But it’s The Wave that has the sound they vibe the best with, he says.  

The Crud has had its fan base grow at each show for many reasons. Of course rocking the house down is one, but also by working the promotional opportunities of the internet. By not only having their own website, but joining services like MySpace.com that serves as a chat house for the world, The Crud has been able to post songs and keep in touch with their fans, as well as keep them informed of upcoming events.  

Another observation by Reut Evil is that he is seeing the crowds for the overall Rock scene grow each month. Some people attribute it to many different reasons, but from what I hear, the main reason is that Rock bands like The Crud are excelling in their sound and originality along with high-energy stage presence. You cannot “fake” a Rock show! You have to be real and push the vein of your music across the room.  

After hearing the mp3s that I got from their website, I look forward to hearing a blow-out CD. Along with The Wave, STAR 101.9 and other cool venues like Bedroq, bands like The Crud should have a powerful springboard to a Cruddy future. Okay, that sucked but I tried! These guys rock! Don’t miss any of their shows!  

Check them out at www.thecrud.com