Thadeus Gonzalez is an Oakland, CA-based hard-rock singer who’s able to balance accessible classic rock sensabilities with an adventurous spirit. This dichotomy makes for music that pushes a crowded, decades-old genre into new territory, a true rarity. He recently signed with Rebel Waves Records, a psych-rock label under the umbrella of Bay Area heavy-hitters Ripple Music (Mos Generator, Wino) and announced his new album Opposite Faces. His first on Rebel Waves, it’s out on July 16 and today we’re premiering a new video from the album, “The Death of a Good Hustle.”

“The Death of a Good Hustle” opens with a whirling guitar riff that along with the thunderous drum beat, recalls the harder side of goth rock. The video, shot mostly in black and white, opens with blindfolded and bound Gonzalez walking through a clearing in a forest. This imagery is interspersed with shots of him singing, offering up an enthusiastic and charismatic performance. At the chorus the song explodes with more razor-edged distortion on the guitars, nearly veering into punk territory.

Meanwhile the video shows the singer led by a woman who sings along with him, then it’s a group of women, who eventually encircle the singer as he writes around on the ground in pain. All the while, Gonzalez’s vocals are delivered in pristine fashion, showing the range that garnered him attention after fronting Electric Sister and earning him opening spots for Slash, Mötley Crüe and more. There’s a twist in the songwriting and the video as the women who appeared to be holding Gonzalez captive join in on the song, adding yet another wrinkle to “The Death of a Good Hustle.”

Opposite Faces track list

1. “Death Of A Good Hustle”
2. “Ripe”
3. “Horses Lay Down”
4. “Apparition World”
5. “Lightning Hits the Land”
6. “Getting in the Wrong Fight”
7. “The Sapphire Thieves”
8. “Never Tear Us Apart”
9. “Opposite Faces”
10. “The Sounds I Saw”