Golden Rusk

Golden Rusk - No Blame No Gain (official youtube video)

The classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde details the experiences of mild mannered, if a bit eccentric Dr. Jekyll, and his mysterious alter ego, the devious, dangerous Mr. Hyde. It’s a classic story of mild mannered man by day, animal by night that has been the inspiration for many a book and movie across the years.

Golden Rusk front man and founder Maher is an artist whose life in some ways parallels this classic story. Making his living with a conventional office job day by day, Maher quickly morphs into something entirely different when the work day comes to a close, embracing his inner Hyde and digging into the world of death metal, intent on making Golden Rusk the cornerstone of the genre in Italy.

For Maher, “Music is more than a passion and I consider it as a world apart from the rest in that it has to be fed steadily. The music has to be able to communicate emotional feelings and transmit all sorts of messages…”

And for the artist, those inclinations came early on as he grew up in Siracusa, in the region of Sicily, Italy, taking up the bass guitar in 1998. That led to a long musical journey that saw the artist play in several bands and explore multiple genres before finally deciding to branch out on his own with Golden Rusk.

The name “Golden Rusk” derives from a simple story that began at the breakfast table having a “rusk” to eat. He mused on the fact that it’s also somewhat hard, much like his musical leanings, put two and two together and gave birth to the name. And while that story is sweet and saccharine, the music of Golden Rusk is anything but, finding inspiration in brutal and death metal genres while delivering an onslaught of obscure tones and an aggressive sound leap into listener’s ears with powerful riffs and blasting beats. The result is a set of sounds that is very much rooted in the artist’s soul and being.

Maher is the only official member of the group and he is solely responsible for its direction. The live setting is a separated entity from what Golden Rusk is in the studio, indeed Maher is usual to shape a specific line-up only for live concerts.

The Golden Rusk’s logo, which consists in a skull with a gas mask, was designed by the Italian artworker Salvo Bosco.

It’s a constant a work in progress as Maher develops his sound and continues the recording process, laboring harder and harder. But the one thing listeners can count on is that what they hear will be the echoes of the artist’s heart and soul as he bares all, seeking to connect with listeners far and wide.

The debut album is called “What will become of us?” and it is produced by Stefano Siracusano.

The cover album has been handled by Salvo Bosco. The release date is set on December 1st, 2016.

Maher said: “The idea was to give birth to a product with a sound research beyond the traditional commercial parameters, creating a rough true-born Sicilian death metal with a distinct personality of composition. This album will smash everyone in the face!”