Horizons by Black Smoke Trigger is a great album to listen to all the way through and with every listen I notice something new. I would be foolish to attempt to put into writing everything that is great about this music, but I have attempted to express my thoughts and feelings about each of the whopping 12 songs.

Phantom Pain – Alice In Chains vibes but tighter and with a much more modern and punchy mix overall. Great layering of relatively simple and repetitive parts which seem to go for the perfect length of time (enough to get into it but not so long it’s boring). Guitar solo focuses on melody over speed and virtuosity which fits the song perfectly.

K.M.T.L – Great build to start with and the highlight on the drums is awesome. The drop off before the chorus is great and the chorus has such drive to it. Second verse emphasizes the bass, awesome use of dynamics within the mix to differentiate song sections. Guitar solo has speed but in a Jimmy Page slightly messy way that really has attitude before going into a more melodic section. Great half time thing at the end.

The Way Down – immediately fits into the post-grunge resurgence that seems to be happening at the moment (though I would hesitate to compare Black Smoke Trigger to Nickelback or Creed). More to do with the simple rhythm that works so well. Chorus is so straightforward rhythmically, something that almost lends itself to the song being “pop” ish. The most rhythmically complex part of the track is the section between the choruses and the verses, it’s a nice pay off. Solo incorporates a lot of bends and a lot of descending runs which lend themselves to the title of the song if you really want to look that hard at it.

Perfect Torture – Definitely a change of direction on the album starting out with an acoustic guitar playing what I would consider to be delicate, almost pretty chords. Sustained feedbacking guitar comes in almost as if it were a bowed string instrument. Build into the chorus is awesome, nice use of slide guitar in the lead layer. Not quite sure what the lead sound in the chorus is, perhaps the band’s way of reflecting the title in the sound of the song is leaving me wondering what on earth that great sound is. Bridge really changes the pace into a driving rock track with the most intense solo yet. The dynamic range between sections of this song is massive and it’s not done in that Nirvana type clean section, distorted section, it’s got a lot more nuance and control which is very impressive.

Proof of Life – Huge impact in the intro before stripping the instrumental down to drums and bass to then build it back with the guitar. This track probably has my favourite really subtle lead layer in the chorus which uses these great arpeggiated chord voicings. As much as I wish those were more audible, the subtlety is what works so well in this mix. Great guitar solo, bluesy, kinda Slash meets Kirk Hammet but at the same time it’s so consistent with the rest of the playing on this album.

Learn to Crawl – Great clean reverby guitar part to start with. The use of a droning note is great in this track. Real cinematic type feel to the chorus, something to do with the rhythm and harmonic simplicity just hits so hard. Guitar solo has some really interesting note choices that bring it more into the modern rock world. The section right after the solo has more of the post-grunge thing I mentioned earlier.

Set Me On Fire – Immediately such a rock and roll feel. And I mean old school rock and roll. Think if the likes of Metallica had a crack at playing 'Rock Around The Clock'. And if you can’t imagine that I can’t blame you, if you have a better comparison do tell me. The song progresses more into a sort of 90's metal thing that really works. Some awesome layering of the higher guitar strings comes in to add harmonic complexity into the mix. Whole thing feels huge.

Psycho – Great use of sound effects in the intro. Don’t hear nearly enough of that. Awesome bass tone. Chorus is so much of that post-grunge thing with that simple driving rhythm and the vocal tone. Digitech Whammy effect after the chorus is great. Second verse builds in a really cool way. Guitar solo is just so cool, reminds me of Stairway to Heaven, just pure classic rock. Tasty way to end the solo with the rapid ascent up to match the vocal note. Outro freakout sounds like the band having a hell of a lot of fun.

One More Chance (Don't Let It Slip Away) – Something about it is very Linkin Park sounding though I can’t pinpoint an exact song that sounds similar. It’s a real throwback to the kind of music I grew up hearing in the 2000's. Guitar arpeggio driving the verse is great and the subtle layer offering a countermelody works really well. So much attitude in the guitar solo, it’s similar to what I said about the solo of K.M.T.L, it’s not the tightest solo in the world, but these guys aren’t robots, and I love that you can hear the attitude come through in the playing.

Never Dies – Very 2000's nu metal intro. Great delay on the vocal stab at the start. Groovy. Cool droning layers and simple lead line. Sort of a mix of Korn and Slipknot but more melodic and within a more hard rock genre over metal.

Sun Cries Red – starts out with acoustic accompanied by strings with vocals louder in the mix. Gives the immediate impression that it’s going to build into something epic. Chorus has some real build to it with orchestral elements. Great note selection in the lead guitar part. Has some unfamiliar intervals to it which make the song sound really fresh.

Promise – Immediately a classic 2000's rock track vibe. Much of that post-grunge thing again. Straightforward drums just bring that pop element. Great lead layer in the chorus that’s simple but effective. Interesting acoustic, classical style ending that ends the entire album beautifully.

Overall the album fits all the current trends I’m seeing in mainstream rock, and this should be played alongside all of that stuff globally. All of the songs are written and produced exceptionally well. Absolutely worth noting that the band played on top of the Auckland Sky Tower with guitarist, Charlie, actually jumping off it for the music video for The Way Down. With that level of commitment from the band, I encourage anyone who has committed to reading this entire review to go and listen to Horizons right now.

• 1
  Head Like A Hole
• 2
  Horror Story
• 3
  Fraser Ross
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  L.A.B.
• 7
  Devilskin
• 8
  Coridian
• 9
  The Boondocks
• 10
  Late to Chelsea

• 
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  Dream Chambers @ Meow Nui, Wellington - 14/12/2024
• 
  The Phoenix Foundation @ Meow Nui, Wellington - 14/12/2024

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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