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Trouble: The Distortion Field
Trouble: The Distortion Field
(Melodic) Heavy Rock/Metal
4.5/5.0
Considered one the pioneers of early doom metal, alongside greats like Candlemass, Chicago's Trouble returns with their ninth album, The Distortion Field. While the much of the pure doom metal motif has dwindled over the years, Trouble are still masters of the heavy riff. The Distortion Field sways between classic heavy rock and heavy metal throughout this 13 song, 60 minute epic, with some nods to the stoner side of things.
Trouble: founding member Rick Wartell rips it up.
But listening to something like un-doomlike Hunters of Doom, Trouble turns preconceptions on their head. Like many songs here, it's moves on a pure rock groove, still heavy, sometimes speedy and sometimes moderating its pace. But it still rocks. Other songs where Trouble gets their Chicago groove on come with The Broken Has Spoken, Glass of Lies, Sucker, and Paranoia Conspiracy, try not to both bang your head and tap your toe that one. Also, infecting these songs, and others, is nice, almost subtle, touch of Seventies psychedelic rock.
If you want something that brings something of the doom vibe, it might be found with One Life or Greying Chill of Autumn. The former is the best candidate as it has a darker feeling and a heavy and somber, but hardly plodding, pace. The latter sounds like something early Pink Floyd and Grand Funk were tossed in a blender. Wrap your ears around that one. Other songs are simply thick kick ass heavy rockers like Sucker, Your Reflection, and When the Sky Comes Down. Yet that last one mixes things up enough to near heavy prog rock. Finally there's the curious Have I Told You which sounds more modern almost like a post grunge ballad. Alternatively, it could sound like something time-warped to the present from the late Seventies to early Eighties. While the heavy riffs is theme, the music of The Distortion Field is varied, interesting, and entertaining enough to demonstrate that Trouble has lost nothing of it's strength and creativity. Recommended, especially to heavy rocker everywhere.
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In Short
While the heavy riffs is theme, the music of The Distortion Field is varied, interesting, and entertaining enough to demonstrate that Trouble has lost nothing of it's strength and creativity. Recommended, especially to heavy rocker everywhere.
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