Trouble

Plastic Green Head (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

Now here’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. (The band, not the concept. Duh.) I followed their first few albums in the mid-’80s metal years, but lost touch with them. Due to contractual disputes, Trouble hasn’t released anything since ’92, except a self-pressed, limited-edition EP, One For The Road, which they sold while touring Europe in ’94. With the release of Plastic Green Head, Trouble re-establish themselves as one of the heavy hitters of the metal scene. The title track takes no time flaunting their dual guitar muscle and Eric Wagner’s unforgettable voice. Warrior Soul’s Kory Clarke wishes he could get that dive-bombing hawk intensity in his screech. Eric’s vocals hover over the grooving, chugging rhythms, like a bird above an army marching. (What’s with all the bird references?) His voice soars above the clanging and the plodding with subtle changes in its own right. The metaphor falls apart when the guitarists start trading fills, spiraling together in gorgeous, dark harmony, and ripping out screaming leads that match the vocals.

The album definitely holds some surprises as well. “Porpoise Song” starts out so similar to Stone Temple Pilots that I actually double checked the credits to see if it was a cover. Surprisingly, it’s a cover of a Monkees’ song. Let’s not get into it, OK? While many of the songs crunch out the mean riffs commonplace in today’s metal market, “Flowers” and “Requiem” roll majestically like ocean waves. Beneath the distortion, there is a spiritual side to Trouble. I seem to recall them being borderline “White Metal” back in the day when such a thing existed. While there is no talk of God or Savior, there is definitely a depth and an appreciation of nature. That thought almost seems silly when two songs later they’re pumping and grinding through an “I Don’t Care” strut metal anthem. I guess communing with Mother Earth doesn’t get the front row pumping its collective fist, eh guys?

The final song (minus the bonus track that my promo copy doesn’t seem to have) begins with a Gibby Haynes-esque intro that, in its own goofy way, taught me something. Eric Wagner can step lung to lung with Chris Cornell. Let’s not go there either, huh? A cover of the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” closes out the CD. My personal favorite is track seven, “Another Day.” Blending the Beatles, Black Sabbath, and Soundgarden into one heavy and melodic teen anthem. Evil guitar lines, apathetic vocals, mindless repetition of the title, and an addictive groove make me love this understated classic.