The Antwerp, Belgium based classic rock trio TRIGGERFINGER (Ruben Block on vocals & guitar with Paul Van Bruystegem on bass and Mario Goossens, drums) formed in 1998, are widely known as one of the hardest-driving bands on the circuit. They have built their brand on a solid reputation for exciting guitar riffs and hard-working blues.
Now they have announced their brand new studio album ‘Colossus’ to be released August 25th via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.
“The previous albums were all built on roaring energy and the live interaction between the three of us. That was not our main concern any more. This time the song would be king…” says Ruben. “ ‘Anything goes’— that was our motto. Acoustic instruments, samples, keyboards, percussion, two bass guitars: as long as they served the song— we were happy.”
The release was produced by Mitchell Froom [best known for Crowded House] and engineered by Tchad Blake. The band set up camp in Froom’s home studio in Santa Monica for six weeks. There they hit it off instantly. The low-key producer quickly became a fourth band member, contributing supernatural sounds coaxed from a collection of vintage keyboards. Los Lobos’ saxophone giant Steve Berlin added his magic to three of the tracks.
Froom says, “After meeting the band and spending a few days going over ideas, I had no reservations about collaborating with them. In fact, I felt very lucky to be asked. This was, for me, a rare situation – a great band who really were looking to open things up a bit, and they came in with a lot of compelling ideas to back it up.”
We had a listen:
Album opener “Colossus” (the song with two basses) is a reverberating metal catwalk that crosses a fuzzy swamp of fear and dreams. Sound waves shout from below a surface made of mud and squish as rhythms leap out like granular bull-frogs screaming to escape the inky mire.
The creepy and downright dark track “Flesh Tight” [shared below] sends out shivers of cold, and fearsome excitement that gives your bones a temble. The outer shell is obviously rock ‘n’ roll but it’s what’s found inside that’s more curious. This is shady and indistinct. A disoriented adventure in an exciting, emotional netherworld.
“Candy Killer” has a spooky space-vibe going on. The psychedelic nature of this number and the protruding bass notes, these lean heavy against distraught voices, lend you to perhaps identify this with the kind of mixed-up proto-punk and futuristic thump-rock that was found in early Hawkwind.
The invention continues right through to “Wollensak Walk” that is a lazy, whirling cavort across more mud and slime. This has fizzy guitar and lots of luminous Southern twang. As if Chris Isaak had teamed up with Muse down in the wet savannah and they came up with this glue.
Top marks for originality, fertility and yeasty talent…
Words: @neilmach 2017 ©
Link: https://www.facebook.com/triggerfingerpage/
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