Tracklisting:
- Snake Oil
- Wonder Why
- 20 Three
- Change My Mind
- Smoke and Mirrors
- Disguise
- Take Your Time (Hiding in a Cloud)
- To the Next Stop
- Interlude
- The Ballad of Sisyphus MacDuff
Release Date: 2001
Label: Underdogma Records
Origin: USA
I never heard anything before of this Ohio trio, so this is my first time with them. And "Hokum" knows to entertain with it's ten diverse tracks. THE RUBES are playing a powerful mixture of heavy 70's Bluesrock with Metal elements and a few progressive parts. It's a refreshing groovy sound with enough heaviness and drive, not groundbreaking but performed in a solid and appealing way. With tracks like "Take Your Time" or " The Ballad of Sisyphus MacDuff" they showing us their version of heavy bluesy Doom and both are two of my personal faves on "Hokum". On the other side there's a slight influence of Gov't Mule in some of the songs and the well-balanced and soulful vocals of bass-player Mace would fit into every 70's Heavy Rock band. But like I've said before this album isn't just a simple retro rock trip. I think, it's more aggressive and metallic than the usual stuff. The song "20 Three" is a good example for it, with it's Thrash Metal-like riffing. The production sounds modern, but not to polished and it has captured the uplifting vibe of this album. To sum it up, "Hokum" is a highly entertaining album with a lot of positive surprises and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. Very recommandable! It has been released on UNDERDOGMA RECORDS and for more informations about THE RUBES, check out their homepage. - KK (CosmicLava.com)
http://www.cosmiclava.com/de/reviews-interviews/record-reviews/records-t/therubes-hokum-cd.html