Trouble - Plastic Green Head Review

Pioneers are always pioneers. There’s nothing like listening to the bands that helped shaping a subgenre. In this very especific case we’re talking Trouble a band that not only helped shaping Doom Metal settled the basis for the so called White Black – white as opposed to black. Metal Blade’s words, not mine. Two very controvertial genres of Heavy Metal or subgenres if you please. I have my differences with both if you know what I’m talking about. One for the message and the other for the instrumentals. Both for the bands that follow them. Whatever.

Ok, then. Here we have one more package of reissues and 1995’s “Plastic Green Head” is one of them together with 2007’s “Simple Mind Condition” – this later the album that finished a 12 year hiatus of the band’s releases. By the way, Trouble were never the kind of band to release an album for a year as many do. Not even in their most successful time in the 1980s. My first relation with Trouble was in the 1980s when I read a lot about them in Metal magazines. Since then they’ve been very controvertial for the aforementioned reasons. Mostly because of the lyrics with an open Christian position and thematic which in that time was a blasphemy. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear any album of them in that time. It was only a few years ago that I had the opportunity to listen to their debut 1984’s “Psalm 9” and their sophomore 1985’s “The Skull” albums that to be extremely frank I didn’t like. When I receiverd the press release with both “Plastic Green Head” and “Simple Mind Condition” I immediately thought they would some kind of opportuniy to listen again to Trouble with some fresh ears after all a long time has passed. I was right “Plastic Green Head” made me understand why so many love the band.

“Plastic Green Head” can’t be considereda typical Doom Metal as its tracks are very varied with some fast tempos and cadences. There is, however, that typical taste of the 1990’s grunge – just a little. It’s slight, my dear fan. But the guitar phrases are simply fantastic. They made me remind the great and only Led Zeppelin and to some extent the mighty and only Black Sabbath both bands I’m sure Trouble pay the tribute. My dear fan who likes lead guitar phrases as I do will love the album. The album also shows the band’s verve to incorporate psychedelic influences which give the album the aforementioned taste of the 1960’s and 1970’s. A big highlight to the very personal voice of Eric Wagner.

Ok, “Plastic Green Head” doesn’t give the fan a good picture of what Trouble are but it’s a good start if one has never heard the band. I forgot to say that Trouble are also pioneers on incorporating Psychelidec and Stoner Rock o metal music. This album gives this right idea. By the way, it’s to my dear fan to know that this album marks the rreturn of original dfrummer Jeff Olson who had left Trouble in 1986. And also the final album before the band split up for the first time.

Trouble “Plastic Green Head” was reissued on April 08th via Hammerheart Records.

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