TROUBLE (35TH ANNIVERSARY) (TRANSPARENT VERDE)

Trouble's absolute classic: the legendary album from 1990 and the pinnacle of Trouble's
impressive career. Heavy Metal was
never better than this! Includes a live bonus CD recorded in Dallas, Taxas (USA)!
Trouble's debut album did great things for Metal and remains one of the darkest, thrashiest
Doom albums to date. A lot of things can change in six years,
especially when you're talking Metal and the dates are 1984 and 1990. The decade may have
changed them, but not in a way that suggests decay or
a decline in the quality of their resolve or their skill as musicians and performers. On the
contrary, Trouble's 1990 self-titled release is arguably their most
mature, boasting a fleshed out sound with unparalleled songwriting, a great production, and
the time-crafted vocals of Eric Wagner which had improved
major in the years since their previous efforts. All of this culminates in what is my mind the
most "complete" thing Trouble ever created.
From the mid-paced chug of a killer opener in "At the End of My Daze" to the last notes of
"All Is Forgiven", I can't see filler or anything resembling a weak
link. The riffs here are some of the best ever written, by Trouble or anyone else; every song
has a manically awesome main riff that demands a display of
headbanging. Riffs are undoubtedly the point of focus here; they make the songs, and
they're a timeless variety of great. Also, the interplay between guitarists
Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell is some of the best lead work you will ever hear in Metal.
Trouble basically reinvented themselves with this release, and while I think it was a fantastic
rebirth, those who aren't so keen on the laid back stoner vibe
they chose to adopt may not see it as a rejuvenation, but a step back (they did go from
doom and gloom to collectively embracing their inner acid dropping
free love hippie, after all). But the Metal remained fully intact!
And as I've said, I think this is Trouble at their best. This is originality and innovation at its
best, it is supreme quality. A leader of bands paves the way and
then steps aside to create something that will serve as an example of how to improve upon
an established formula: that is, by doing it really damn well.