You wouldn't expect the low moaning synth of Taurus Pedals and an eerie Hammond organ to open such a powerful record, but it was a stance that
Trouble had made to complete a record that was beyond what many early power metal and thrash metal bands were doing at the time.
Simply put,
Trouble were a precursor to many bands like Blind Guardian, Jag Panzer, and
Iced Earth (although it would not be long before those bands would form and/or follow on the same path), offering a more down to earth sound, emphasizing a thick aggressive guitar attack, psuedo-progressive structure, neo-classical guitar virtuosity, and discrete chops by all, literally wrapped up within these eight cuts.
Sort of adding the rhythmic complexity of Rush, the guitar thrust of early
Megadeth and Metallica, along with the technical stance of
Helloween and Running Wild,
Trouble clearly created a sound that articulated, without gloss and glam, letting not only the lyrics speak for the music, but letting the music speak for itself, among the sudden beat and key changes throughout
Run to the Light, complimented by the dual guitar leads of Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell, as well as the shaky tenor voice of Eric Wagner.
All the cuts here represent
Trouble in full force, rather than many of them being straightforward simplistic verse/chorus songs, they represent the band in a way that had not really been heard among some of the thrash metal bands that had been making the underground rounds at this point, cuts such as the thrash-to-stoner metal
"Born in a Prison," and the metallic jam session of
"On Borrowed Time." Groove driven cuts such as
"Tuesday's Child," with it's politically motivated lyrics and
"Thinking of the Past," offering a fully stacked riff structure, make the overall sense of the record go beyond a typical vibe, due to the fact that the atmosphere constantly changes, going from a startled vibe in the
"Misery Shows" to the sub darkness Sabbath-esque atmosphere found in the final cut, with the ever so contrasting title,
"The Beginning," complete with a "YYZ" style guitar jam session.
Back to front, all eight cuts startle you, they intrigue you, and will ultimately make you want more from these guys. In the end, many might wonder why this was not making the airwaves at the time, leaving all the "hair metal" and other pop commodities to whore up all the fame, well maybe it was better off that these guys kept their stance underground, and playing music on their own terms, and who can argue with that.
Written by
Hashman Friday, March 5, 2004
Show all reviews by HashmanRatingsHashman: 9/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
This article has been shown 4949 times. Go to the
complete list.
