Zmack’s eight-track album, “Rustbelt Rejects,” runs just 23 minutes, synthesizing years of experimentation, personal loss, regional pride and unpredictable production. The independent artist is from Akron, Ohio, and makes music that is beyond category, drawing from Memphis trap, Horrorcore, shadow rap, industrial, Doom, sludge, funk-metal, nu-metal, New Wave, and dubstep. It’s a little rough around the edges, and that’s the point, giving us an album that feels tied to the places, people, frustrations, humor and memories that made Zmack. The grit has the influence of the Rust Belt you can hear, but there is a strong sense of individuality that runs through the project. Instead of trying to make everything sound polished or predictable, Zmack lets contrasting ideas collide and creates a world that feels uniquely his own.
“Rust Sound” rolls that identity right away with a hard, abrasive atmosphere that echoes Akron’s worn industrial character and the wider Rust Belt. There’s a sense of movement on the track, enough groove to not be purely bleak under the grime. The sense of regionality feels fundamental but doesn’t fall into mere nostalgia, so that pride and frustration are heard together. That energy carries into “Blood of the Irish,” which pivots toward personal heritage while keeping the album’s aggressive edge intact. The subject matter of the record adds another dimension to it, tying identity to history, pride and intensity. “Pressure” seems like a natural progression from there, with a punchy, tense mood that emphasizes the emotional pull of its name. The song adds another dimension to the album’s portrait of struggle, showing how external surroundings and internal experiences can overlap. “Streetlights” then shifts perspective, introducing a more nocturnal quality that suits the album’s urban setting. There’s a cinematic quality to imagining these sounds against empty roads and aging neighborhoods, making the track like another snapshot from the world Zmack knows.
“Clown” is about the darker side of that world, and the song creates an uneasy, off-kilter mood. Zmack says he has an odd sense of humor, and “Clown” adds some of that strangeness. This prevents the project from being one-note, demonstrating that discomfort and absurdity can exist at the same time. “Dirty Muskrat” takes that idea even further, delving into grittier Horrorcore territory with a purposely weird character. Darkness and humor combine to provide one of the more unique turns in the album, demonstrating just how far Zmack is willing to stretch his sound. “Brady Lake Phonk” switches the vibe once again, emphasizing the Memphis-inspired and phonk flavor in the project while still keeping the rough, low-end heavy production style. It feels grounded but still open to outside influences and that is a big strength of the overall approach of the album. Ending with “Shooter (Rusty Romp), Zmack serves up another dose of hard-edged energy, mixing the project's heavier tendencies with a playful unpredictability. Over the eight tracks, “Rustbelt Rejects” is less an attempt to fit into a genre mold than it is a musical representation of one artist’s surroundings, experiences, influences and changing identity.
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