ALBUM REVIEW: Horizons – Black Smoke Trigger

Forming in 2018, New Zealand rockers BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER embarked on a musical journey and quickly made a name for themselves on the rock circuit, first with their EP released in 2019 and now on their debut LP Horizons.

Phantom Pain opens the record and it has what is already becoming that unmistakable BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER feel to it. It starts off with minimal instrumentation but of course, that doesn’t last long as the guitars come in strong and the gritty vocals take the track to new heights. Done by other bands this could be classed as a pretty standard rock song however BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER are introducing themselves with this track and show who they are and what they’re doing and it is promising.

K.M.T.L. has more of a distinctly punk attitude to it with some simplistic but high-octane guitar parts that really get the blood flowing. The vocals are a lot less melodic in this track and seem a lot more carefree as they soar into the choruses. The solo is shorter than expected but it’s still great and fits the style of the track perfectly. Another track released as a single, The Way Down is a thumping number that relies heavily on the drums but it seems more intentional than a fortunate accident. It’s got a great hook that plays throughout the verses and the band really take their time with this track using stops and it’s not really as fast as the other tracks but it’s just as big, with whining solos ensuing toward the end to top it off.

The much more subdued Perfect Torture starts with an acoustic guitar taking things much slower. The vocals are pretty easy over the top. Going into the choruses things get heavier as the electric guitars come in with the drums. It’s almost like a song of two halves, being slow and reflective in the verse and heavy and grittier in the choruses. Then Proof Of Life kicks in and this is back to heavy rock vibes which is always hard to complain about. The vocals in the choruses of this track hit screamed levels which is a nice touch as this is the band really opening up the throttle.

Set Me On Fire is a fun little number. It’s a heavy track and it sounds like it’s filled with doom but it’s really easy to get on board with. It’s a straight-up rock song which is ok at this point as it’s not trying to be super complex or difficult to get behind. It’s just there for the fun of it. Of course, the band employ another blistering solo which is expected at this point in the album and would be a bit of a letdown if it wasn’t there. Following it with Psycho, this track feels a little tame compared to the others. The vocals are still great and are on point for every song in fact but it feels like the instrumentation is restrained rather than lacking.

Another acoustic intro is used in Sun Cries Red and at this point it’s a welcome change as it shows a little bit of variety and gives a little bit of breathing space. It does slowly build back into a huge arena-style rock track but the vocals are pretty dark which is always good. This one swells and builds and then falls, giving the track more of a force-of-nature feel. Finally, the closing track Promise doesn’t promise too much. It doesn’t do anything wrong as it’s a closing track so it’s big and heavy but it doesn’t leave an impression as almost the entire album is big and heavy tracks so there’s not really any distinction here. It does end on a nice acoustic melodic part though which is unexpected.

Horizons is a decent album overall. Fans mainly of the rock genre will probably enjoy this album, but it does lack originality. It doesn’t really do anything new or unexpected as pretty much all the tracks are parodies of themselves and each other. It can become a bit of a slog just getting to the end of the album as after the first few tracks it’s pretty easy to tell what’s coming next and it’s all just more of the same really with no real standouts to set them apart. To be clear, BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER are talented to be able to do what they do and they’ve made a name for themselves rightfully so, but this album could have been a lot more.

Rating: 6/10

Horizons is set for release on August 2nd via self-release.

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