Trigger Mafia are by now well known in the rock revival scene. Guitar based music has been making a huge comeback in the past few years, and many bands just go from sweaty practice sessions to the stage, wasting no time at all. Many of them are seasoned, and always ready to rock. The Brotherhood is Trigger Mafia’s renaissance art piece which is what post-modernism was to modernism. Crush the excess and throw it out, its time to bare it all and rock it out.
From the garage to the stage
Starting with Find a Better Way, Trigger Mafia show us why they are such fan favorites. Completely composed as a strong stadium anthem, this sounds like what Kid Rock or a late Motley Crue would make, to get the crowd grooving. It has the energy of Cheap Trick and the vigor of Lynyrd Skynyrd. A kick of caffeine to the nards, I would poetically phrase it as.
Opening with what would sound like a great jam session with the funk band War, the band switch to a Clutch style riff delivery system that is the barbeque to a backyard. Power chords pump out lyrics of a clairvoyant traveler, wherever I may roam style. The Deep Purple synths rolling around in the background to finally crash the party with the instrumental duet is something that would be on my playlist for sure. Open Road leading to a world beyond.
Sittin’ On a Corner is the next song on the album, another rock staple style issue. The rolling beat and phasing guitar is something every rock fan likes to hear, with the chorus adding some of their fairy dust to the track. The harmonizing works very well, and the genial tip offs to some classic lyrics make it an addictive track to sing.
Altering tempo & style
Sounding like Tom Morello’s collaboration with Knife Party, the riff has all the makings of the funky roller coaster we need to climb to enjoy that fall. The Chickenfoot sounding song-Drink What You Drink & Roll What You Roll with additional keyboardist Jon Lord sitting in makes it a superb show, with all the right tempo and groove you would need to keep the audience hooked. Hell, I know I was.
We’re sliding into the Appetite for Destruction years, with the riffs and pure rock energy. Parts of the song sound like Mammoth WVH, and the chugging guitar always gets my head bopping. It ramps up to a great chorus, dropping the sound but not the tempo, don’t forget what you’re here for. M.F.G is what would be an acronym for made fucking great, because the song is guitar fueled greatness.
Devil Woman sounds like it has been written by Black Stone Cherry, but has Trigger Mafia spliced in as well. The spaced-out guitar riff with the solid beat is something that is signature, the synths accenting in the background. Once again, they lament about the devil woman, taking everything you have. A great blues rock tune.
The rails of prog-rock
Great Big Genius is what a small segment of Dream Theater would sound like, maybe during a practice session. The song is a testament and solid display of what Liquid Tension Experiment was also about, drilling the point of the instrument home. Great chemistry between these seasoned players, changing mood and emotion at the drop of a pin.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Snowflake is a rock song about the twitter verse. Adhere to a cool rock tune, and grill the people that whine all day. It’s about growing a spine and bearing the brunt of your problems and letting go of the rest. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Probably what can be called the title song of this album, The Brotherhood Song sounds like the band you hate for no reason, Nickelback. Might be the acoustic attack before the electric rides in, or the similarity to Photograph, a song I must admit I like. As the title suggests, the brotherhood aims for unity and growth-through the beauty of life. Like an apology and an ode to other company that has been loved and lost. The change in tempo through the album helps a lot.
With AC/DC flavor, Turn it Up quickly shifts to a Rick Springfield kind of tune. It has a nice, catchy hook that won’t quit your head or even your memory. Parts of it shift to a Bon Jovi feeling as well, with the chorus and overall stadium energy.
Instrumental madness
Y.V.R was a flashback to Rush for me. The intro sounds exactly like YYZ, which might be an ode to the Canadian prog-rock legends. It is fitting as a tribute, as the instruments build up and create a show-off of epic proportions. Especially the solos and keys, are just crushing it in this album. The spine of the band, bass and drum have formed a JPJ & Bonham chemistry that is shown off at least in this track, if not all.
Backyard Barbeque is your summertime hit, to play in the backyard. Yes, that is meta and that might have been the intention. It is a fun smashing track, something everyone can sing along with. By now, we’re sounding more and more like Kid Rock, maybe his affinity to this part of the American zeitgeist.
The French version sounds so much more poignant. Find A Better Way, sounds like a better way to me, probably because I don’t understand the beautiful, rolling-off-the-tongue language. It does the trick, and target audience-enjoy.
The Brotherhood is a tightly packed album with great rock revival hits that sound like the late 90’s and early 00’s. The songs have all the energy you would have before an event (pre-pandemic) and th will to have the time of your life. Some songs may sound repetitive and lack the spark to be a “hit”, yet throws in great songs to make it a fun listen.
Listen to their album here:
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
