Trouble: Psalm 9 (remaster)

Escapi Music has been doing right by the fans of Traditional Metal and Hard Rock by re-issuing and remastering several bands whose work truly had levels of impact that are still felt to this very day. They began with the Warrior Soul catalog and now they continue the process with Doom Metal masters Trouble. As anyone who was a fan of the band will tell you, Trouble's debut was a Doom Metal lovers delight. It's an album that brings you back to the early days of the genre when it was simply referred to as Heavy Metal. Trouble was always very heavy on the Black Sabbath style and so much of that riffing comes out in their songs with the added double guitar assault Wartell and Franklin. It was a great sounding band and they were truly different from the other kinds of music that was being offered in 1984. While some bands were going "Round And Round" and others suggested you "Jump", Trouble instead stressed that "Bastards Will Pay". Lyrically there was a very heavy Christian theme to the songs as Wagner sang about righteous vengeance and retribution. Religious to a degree but hardly the Bible tossing Stryper who sang more about Salvation. Trouble was more serious with their themes noting that screwing up meant eternal damnation. It was Wagner's Catholic upbringing that led him to focus his creative writing energy to this model since so many of the other bands were praising the dark powers and evil happenings. For example 1984 was the year Celtic Frost gave the world Morbid Tales while Mercyful Fate dished out their classic Don't Break The Oath. Their Doom aspect worked very well with the fire and brimstone messages and despite them the band showed that there is a light at the end of the sad tunnel with the track "Psalm 9". This release was originally simply titled "Trouble" but in 1990 when they wanted to use it again, this was renamed Psalm 9. The emerging popularity in the Doom genre by bands such as Pentagram and Witchcraft proves the merit in the return of one of the styles founders. It sounds as fresh as it did originally and it's as heavy as sludge throughout. Good Metal is timeless in my opinion. This remastered edition includes a DVD of early footage and bonus photos. In 2006 Trouble has reunited and the recording of a new album is set for early 2007.

Bonus DVD: Public-Access Cable TV Show From 1982. Its nineteen minutes in length and features band interviews and commentary along with performances of "Assassin", "Psalm 9" and "Victim Of The Insane". The footage is somewhat shaky at times but has been restored to the best possible manner. It is definitely of good quality for its age and great to see after essentially being missing footage of the band. With this debut release arriving in 1984, this is potentially the earliest available footage of the group in action.

Track Listing
1. The Tempter
2. Assassin
3. Victim Of The Insane
4. Revelation (Life Or Death)
5. Bastards Will Pay
6. Fall Of Lucifer
7. Endtime
8. Psalm 9
9. Tales Of Brave Ulysses

Added: November 13th 2006
Reviewer: Ken Pierce
Score:
Related Link: Trouble Website
Hits: 3682
Language: english

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