The More Trouble The Better!

Courtesy of  www.thegauntlet.com

As someone who's wholly dedicated to music, heavy metal in particular, I can tell you that its very easy to not only become complacent in the bands you're listening to but you can outright miss out on bands both big and small as a result. I'm not one of those types that says "you should listen to everything to keep an open mind" as I think that's rather absurd. We all know what music moves us, inspires us, and gets our blood pumping. When complacency sets in however our selection of bands and artists often dwindles slowly until we spend months or even years listening primarily to that small handful of bands that have the biggest effect on us. I've seen countless friends and family members go this route and I'm guilty of it too. Fortunately this has only happened to me twice in my 30 year love affair with heavy metal and hard rock and several bands came along that shook my musical world up and exposed me to other bands and styles at the right times.

Here Comes Trouble

In the days before the internet I relied on friends and...yes..MTV to turn me onto new music and bands.  Fortunately in this, the internet age, music fans and Corona guitar lesson instructors can use their computers to find music and bands that interest them. Even at 42 years of age, a good result elicits a type of excitement that's unmatched by anything else in life save for playing music with other people.

In the early 90's it was Alice in Chains and then in the mid 90's it was Type O Negative. In the aughts it was Black Label Society. The most recent musical shake up in my tiny world comes from Trouble. I knew from the moment I heard the band on YouTube, as I did with the first time I heard aforementioned bands, that I'd be a fan for life. As I familiarized myself with Trouble's library and history I thought "how in the fuck did I miss this band?" After all Trouble isn't new on the scene, in fact they're quite old. The bands first album, "Psalm 9" was released in 1984. Considering that my love of heavy cathartic music began in 1985 I still can't believe I'd not only never heard Trouble's music but I'd never heard of the band period. Apparently none of my friends had heard of the band either otherwise I would have become a fan long, long ago. As a fan of music that straddles the very fine line that exists between heavy metal and hard rock and bands that are essentially hard rock bands with a metal edge, Trouble's music hit me like a ton of bricks. Trouble is heavy, doomy, melodic, has great guitar hooks, is emotional, driving, and without frills. The band will remain in my music library for as long as I live. Although I've only been a fan for about two months they already occupy the same space in my brain I reserve for KISS, Alice In Chains, The Beatles, Type O Negative, Black Label Society, and Black Sabbath.

"Paranoid Conspiracy"
The first Trouble song I heard.

A Mixed Bag Of Sounds

Make no mistake, Trouble is a heavy metal band and no one who's heard the band going to dispute that. There's also a tinge of doom there which is fantastic but the band incorporates a little psychedelia, straight rock, and aptly handles Monkees and Beatles covers while sometimes wearing its influences on it's sleeve; all things I appreciate to a great degree. Trouble never sounds like any other particular band mind you and they have their own unique sound but there are many occasions while listening where I've said "hey whoa! That sounds Pink Floydish or that's Sabbathy." Trouble doesn't ever try to be anyone but themselves and in doing so have created something both unique and familiar at the same time. Although the band's original vocalist, the superb Eric Wagner, left the band, Trouble continues to hit the mark with their new vocalist(s). If you enjoy melodic or traditional heavy metal be sure to give Trouble a listen. The band is well worth your time.

Songs Of Note

• Memory's Garden
• Breathe
• The Wolf
• Pictures Of Life
• Hear The Earth

~Scott