Join Pete Pardo & Martin Popoff as they rank the studio catalog of doom metal legends Trouble. #trouble We now have a ko-fi page if you'd like to support the channel: ko-fi.com/pete...
Holy crap, I just listened to the self-titled (1990). What an album from a band I’d never heard of. How were these guys not huge? Thanks Pete and Martin!!!
Dude how did you not hear of these guys? I remember the early 80s when they first came out. They used to play Psychotic Reaction on the radio in 1990. They were bad ass rad live! RIP Eric Warner
I’m actually surprised neither of you talked about the guitar tone. It’s so unique and heavy and such an integral part of the Trouble sound, more so than even Eric’s voice. It’s been updated and tweaked a little over the years but it’s the same awesome tone that no other band possesses.
So many people don't even know who"Trouble"are,and don't even give them the proper respect they deserve.But I absolutely love those guys.Even when they had the other dude singing.I still liked it(albeit not as much).But I still consider them a very important band in the evolution of "Stoner Rock/Metal".
I'm on team Popoff here. "Manic Frustration" is a stellar album. It's not only the album where I discovered them, but it still sounds so good even today.
There are a TON of groups out there. TROUBLE is definitely in my TOP 25-30. Have all of their albums including new formation THE SKULL. Eric Wagner to me has a unique sound. Love all their albums but the 1990. Self titles has special meaning to me. Like a desert 🌵 island classic. Again a tremendous show with both PETE & MARTIN. Thank you
Absolutely fantastic show My fav doom metal band and indeed 2nd fav band of all time behind Judas Priest Always felt that they were the perfect mix of early Sabbath with early Priest say Vol 4 mixed with Sad Wings / sin after sin. Best fav are: Psalm 9 Trouble 1990 The skull
Love these videos with Mr. Popoff! Excellent, insightful commentary, and I think it's really cool how you both obviously love the band, yet have completely different choices for your #1 album. Shows you how versatile a doom band can be!
This was a treat - I never see anyone talk about Trouble nowadays...and Pete, I agree with your top 2 Run to the Light is also my fave and self titled right behind it.
Same here. "Manic Frustration" was actually my introduction to Trouble. I love the early stuff, especially Psalm 9, but "Manic Frustration" has a cool psychedelic metal feel that I absolutely love.
FYI - Plastic Green Head and Simple Mind Condition have just been remastered/reissued and are available for purchase and streaming services. Have to say, Simple Mind Condition is really underrated, I think folks should give it another listen. "The Beginning of Sorrows" is one of their greatest songs, very moving.
Once again you and I agree Pete. My #1 - Run to the light. Although I pretty much like all of their albums. This album has everything one could love from Trouble. And in my opinion this was their pinnacle album. And should be considered a classic album in any genre of Metal. Verygood video Pete and Martin.🙂\m/
Psalm 9 was the ONLY cassette in my car's tape deck in 1984. What a tone! Nothing can touch it, including, unfortunately subsequent Trouble albums. Good stuff here and there, but the debut is perfect from start to finish. I saw the original lineup live in San Antonio. Very. Very. Good.
I agree with Pete! I was around though the time leading up to the Run To The Light album. I was friends with Dennis Lesh through his audition and subsequent hiring, close friends with Scott Hull (cover art), watching the cover from blank canvas to finished product. Tons of stories, awesome times on the west side of Chicago in the late 80’s! Was planning to go with them for the tour, parenting responsibilities surprised me before I could live the dream! Hope to see the band again in the future.
A really insightful listen. I got into Trouble in 92 and I was very much into Alternative Metal and Stoner Rock at that point. That has influenced the order of rank without a doubt. I agree with Martin, my order is the same. Manic Frustration is my favorite by some way as well; I love every track except Rain. You guys name-dropped some great bands that I'd love to see some content on in the future, namely Warrior Soul, Danzig and Monster Magnet. Thanks guys.
I've always really liked this band. 8) Simple Mind Condition (Easily my least favorite) 7) The Distortion Field (Better than "S.M.C.", but not great) 6) Run To The Light (Everything from here and on in my list is damn good) 5) The Skull 4) Manic Frustration (Totally different, but a fine album) 3) Trouble 2) Plastic Green Head 1) Psalm 9 Thanks, Pete & Martin!
Hell yes one of my favorites.Manic Frustration is my no.1.Kudos for having Mr.Popoff on.My favorite metal journalist🤘😎(2-Trouble3-PlasticGreenHead4-Psalm95--Run to the Light6-TheSkull7SimpleMindCondition
I gotta go with the Rick Rubin produced self-titled album as my favorite Trouble record without a doubt. Maniac Frustration is my second favorite. First saw them open up for Danzig back in 88,killer show.
Good episode. I'd say my favorite albums are Psalm 9, The Skull, and Trouble. Not sure if either Martin or Pete have heard of Manilla Road. Would love to see an episode about that band.
Love this band. I heard The Tempter first in the early 80's. Manic Frustration is a great album. The Wolf from the self titled album is great too. Always preferred the Eric Warner stuff. They have a brilliant twin guitar attack too
“ Black Funeral “ - great book Martin about Mercyful Fate. Mind opening. I actually saw TROUBLE once.....open up for King Diamond...in the mid 80s. Small club. Stood there with my beer in amazement. It was like seeing vintage Sabbath. ORCHID is the only other band I’ve heard that’s close to that sound.
Manic Frustration introduced me to Trouble in 92'. With getting into heavy music then, and all the new bands coming out then, Trouble was put to the side. I've gotten back to listening them the last few years and my go to albums are Manic Frustration and Trouble "2".
Excellent show!! Trouble is such an underrated band. My order was really close to yours Martin. My top 2 could change any given day. Edit! After listening to their catalog a lot over the last week i am going to flip flop Manic Frustration and Trouble. Their Self titled is just absolutely stunning. 1. Trouble 2. Manic Frustration 3. Psalm 9 4. Plastic Green Head 5. Run To The Light 6. The Skull 7. Simple Mind Condition 8. The Distortion Field
Wasn't real familiar with this band, then I saw them open up for Corrosion of Conformity at the Glass House in Pomona California 9 months ago. Really enjoyed them! Bought some albums at their merch table, now I'm a fan!
You must live in my neck of the woods, I’ve been to the glass house a handful of times. I live in the I.E. I saw them at the viper room in 2016 with witch mountain and Mantar, awesome show.
The others switch places with me depending on what kind of mood I'm in, but my #1 is the 1990 Trouble and #2 is Run to the Light. The dislike/lack of love for RTTL has always confused me. The 1990 album is absolutely perfect to my ears. Very cool that Pete chose RTTL as his #1.
Welp I’m a crusty old Trouble fan since around age 16 just out of Catholic school when the debut came out ( YES I still have my original solid WHITE vinyl copy!) .. mine ( Wagner only) are: 1. Psalm 9 (life begins here) 2. The Skull (crushing all insects that get in its way. A mighty beast, a beautiful doom classic to end them all. Heavy as the first but with a leap in dynamics and skill) 3. Trouble (I don’t know how you pull off a doom toe tapper and not fall on your faces - but here it is! A thrilling and super heavy reboot) 4. Manic Frustration (a bold continuation of a brilliantly revitalized sound) 5. Run to the Light (the classic doom crunch is starting to wear - but by god it still wears well) 6. Plastic Green Head ( ok, we had 2 better albums of this … let’s reboot) 7. Simple Mind Condition ( and I’d prob rank the albums by Wagner’s The Skull higher than at least 3 of these Trouble albums)
I was lucky enough to see them several times around Chicago in the 80s and early 90s. 1. Psalm 9 2. The Skull 3. Run to the Light 4. Trouble 5. Manic Frustration 6. Plastic Green Head 7. Distortion Field 8. Simple Mind Condition
I really like the "Monkees" cover, The Porpoise Song. My ranking; 1. Trouble 1990, 2. Manic Frustration, 3. Plastic Green Head, 4. The Skull, 5. Psalm 9, 6. Simple Mind Condition, 7. Run To The Light. Haven't heard Distortion Fields.
I agree I like their cover of The Porpoise Song on PGH. Enjoy the dual guitar solo on it too. I agree with Pete and Martin in regard to the other cover on that album, Tomorrow Never Knows I can do without.
Been a fan since 84. Lived in Chicago and Aurora where they are from. Tales was a b-side that was added to Psalm 9. Met these guys a few times, super cool dudes. Trouble Psalm 9 Plastic Greenhead The Skull Run To The Light Manic Frustration Simple Mind Condition Distortion Field
I bought The Skull when it first came out knowing nothing about them and admittedly it took some listens to sink in but once it did, I was hooked for life. I finally got to see them back in 2008 and they did not disappoint despite Eric seeming to be quite inebriated. 1. The Skull 2. Psalm 9 3. Trouble 4. Run to the Light 5. Manic Frustration 6. Plastic Green Head 7. Simple Mind Condition 8. The Distortion Field (Kyle Thomas has a great voice, just didn’t work for me in this band.)
Wow !!! I just finished watching, you guys did an outstanding job analyzing these records. My favorite is the 1990 release Trouble. I think it offers the best production and is the most consistent. The cut R.I.P. is great. This album opened national recognition for the band. I met these guys in Waterbury, Conn. at Pheonix records, 2007 when Simple Mind Condition came out. Eric had on a long black denim coat, black boots, all black on, sun glasses and was in an Awful mood. The other guys were cool but Eric was pissed off that day.
Really enjoyed this ranking video of my favourite band of all time, TROUBLE. They never truly reached the main stream, which maybe is also some of the appeal for me. They were a “bands band”…meaning several big name musicians loved Trouble and were heavily influenced by them, but they never truly gained mass market popularity themselves. 🤷🏻 My personal ranking: 1. Trouble (Psalm 9) 2. Trouble (1990) 3. Manic Frustration 4. The Skull 5. Run To The Light 6. Plastic Green Head 7. The Distortion Field 8. Simple Mind Condition RIP Eric Wagner… “Hope it's not too late Heaven's on my mind I can hardly wait Heaven is there for all to find.”
Psalm 9(Fave songs, guitar riffs, vocals) 1990 Trouble s/t, the Skull....Run to the Light)** In that order, Manic Frustration. I listen to those 5 records! Trouble Chicago, IL band. Opened 4 Slayer back in the day. That crowd hated them. Didn't understand their sound, musical vibe back then..1985-93)
Love Trouble. My friend Banger Bill introduced me to Trouble and years later I found their catalogue on Amazon. Banger Bill and I used to review bands and records much the same way you both do on this Video. I love these shows as it reminds me of how I responded to music back in the day. So good!
Psalm 9, off of Psalm 9, is my current favourite song by them, having just bought that album last week, bringing my total number of Trouble albums to 4 (and counting). I can happily keep skipping it back and listening to it 5 times in a row. Blasphemy Warning (1): I think Eric Wagner's voice is a bit like Robert Plant's sometimes. Not completely, it's just that comparisons, here and there, can definitely be made but here's the thing: I don't like Robert Plant's singing. Never did. But I completely love Eric Wagner's voice. In every style and register that he sings. Blasphemy Warning (2): I've read a couple of people in comments sections say they think he sounds like Waxl Rose. In part, I agree but only in certain parts. If you listen, sometimes, with that in mind, you might hear it. Although, I definitely feel it would be more appropriate to say that 'Waxl Rose, out of Guns n' Roses, sounds a bit like Eric Wagner, of Trouble, sometimes'. Oh, PS: I've just listened to bits of Wagner's solo album 'In The Lonely Light Of Mourning' and it's really, really, good. It's definitely on the shopping list for my next album shopping spree!
I guess I'll have to check out The Distortion Field again but what I remember hearing of it it just didn't sound like Trouble to me. I have a Floodgate cd with Kyle Thomas that I enjoyed for the most part.
My favorite Rick Rubin production is The Four Horsemen -"Nobody Said It Was Easy". If you want to hear about Rubin ask them. My favorite Trouble albums are -#1 Trouble, 2. Manic Frustration, 3. Plastic Green Head & 4. The Skull(mostly because of the song "Gideon"). And yay Paradise Lost was mentioned!!! 😁
I love that four horsemen record. You have to respect rick Rubin for signing and producing slayer, Danzig, Trouble, and the Four horsemen, and be produced the best album by the cult, imo.
Psalm 9, The Skull, Plastic Greenhead, Manic Frustration. Honestly haven't heard of much of the other albums due to the fact that they are not easy to find. Bring on the remasters. Side note, saw Trouble play in some bar in Chicago with Kory Clark singing and Imo he did not fit the band vocally or image wise. But the rest of the band still had it.
I really enjoyed this video and will revisit some of the older records again. I love the 1990 album Trouble above all the others though: it’s one of the greatest metal albums of all time imo. I’d like to hear you guys discuss Volbeat at some point. Peace ✌️
The band is really overlooked/ I had "Maniac Frustration" n it was a great album to work out too. Very strong Stony piledriven Riffs/ The album was great n the band doesn't hide their influence n there are many recycled riffalogy, but they have a way of pulling it off. That's the thing about Maniac Frustration is that it has a Grundge feel for them n very melodic yet really kick Ass....
Great show! 1. Psalm 9 2. Trouble 3. The Skull 4. Manic Frustration 5. Plastic Green Head 6. Run To The Light Haven't listened to Simple Mind Condition or Distortion Field enough to rate.
I think I love their 1990 S/T album the best, but man The Distortion Field is great and I hope they do another Kyle Thomas album, and they do great live with him. Also the Eric Wagner side stuff of The Skull is great, as is his other band Blackfinger.
1. TROUBLE S/T 2. Plastic Green Head 3. Manic Frustration 4. Run to the Light 5. Psalm 9 6. The Skull 7. Simple Mind Condition 8. The Distortion Field (I put this last because I have a block on it because it lacks Eric's vocals. I only listened to it once)
Thanks for the video, guys. I totally agree with Mr. Martin and I must say that "Manic frustration" is my favourite Trouble album. I still remember when it was released in 1992. I was 17 and used to listen to it on my Sony walkman several times a day while walking my dog Mofli (R.I.P.). Every song on this album is simple fantastic and the solo on "Hello strawberry skies" is impecable: The progression, tempo and dinamyc is awesome ! That 40 seconds solo just blows my mind. Self titled is my second fave and pretty close to M.F. I literally go bananas every time I listen to "The wolf". Every song on this album is also genuine doom-heavy-metal at its best. The first 3 albums are also amazing heavy-doom albums. Pure american doom-metal and if there´s (or there has always been) something good in the USA is the music industry. Just the best !! Plastic green head is a pretty good album. I really enjoy it. And I need to listen to "Simple mind condition" again ´cos you mates has put it way too down.. The thing with Kory Clarke never had a meaning to me, really. Long live WS ! Not very fond of Kyle´s voice ..
Great band,always loved their guitar sound.wish they would have re recorded or cleaned up run to the light,great album but sub par production.Great underrated band.
Totally agree with you on Run To The Light, Pete. I hear a lot of people rip on that record, but I just don’t get that at all. My favorite from Trouble. I’ve loved it since it came out I’m glad to see you enjoy it too.
I would put the Skull 2nd or 3rd because it’s more true to what they were originally about. Draggy at times but I love it. Definitely above Run To the Light wich I would put 4th Psalm 9 is the best album because the badass riffs just keep coming My favorite track will always be their first Demo song The Last Judgement from the Metal Massacre 4 compilation Doomy and scary as hell. But the last sentence of the lyrics is actuality comforting
Solid band. One of my old bands opened for them in Albany, NY in 1985. Fun show and cool to play with them, though, I must confess, they were a little... uh.... untogether that night. Jeff Ollson was a super cool guy and I had a good time talking with him. A few years later in '93 while helping out a friend's band after a show in Chicago, we ran into Eric Wagner at a rehearsal studio. Again, had a good time drinking and smoking with him until the wee hours. Good show Pete and Martin, thanks!
I just bought Green Plastic Head yesterday and fired up my computer tonight and you all are talking Trouble! The self titled is probably my fav but I want to give some love to Manic Frustration which to me always sounded like it had a lot of Beatles influence with some of the melodies and chord progressions. Great band.
I would add Pagan Altar among the originators of the doom genre as well. By the way, Franklin and Wartell don’t get much recognition as a solid guitar duo. Alrighty, one of my favorite bands. Here we go with the rankings: 1 The Skull 2 Psalm 9 3 Trouble 4 Run to the Light 5 Manic Frustration 6 Plastic Green Head 7 Distortion Field 8 Simple Mind Condition
Such a kick ass band that should have been much bigger than they ultimately were (are ?). 1. Run to the Light 2. Trouble 3. Psalm 9 4. Manic Frustration 5. Plastic Green Head 6 The Skull 7 Distortion Field 8 Simple Mind Condition As you mentioned hard to rank these because they are all really solid and equally good. Also, Eric's band The Skull are crushingly heavy, their last album is just a monster riff-fest as good as any of the Trouble catalog IMO.
I dig old shcool Trouble but I think they became better songwriters in the 90's. Wagner's voice most definitely improved too. I interviewed them when they toured with Danzig and spent most of the pre-show and post-show hanging with them on their bus. They were some of the coolest musicians I ever worked with. R.I.P. Barry Stern. 01) Trouble 02) Simple Mind Condition 03) Manic Frustration 04) Plastic Green Head 05) Psalm 9 06) The Skull 07) Run To The Light 08) The Distortion Field
I have a total different opinion from Martin Popoff, I usually stay well clear of the album 'produced' by Rick Rubin, especially the Trouble ones....so here goes my ranking: 1) The Skull 2) Trouble (psalm9) 3) Plastic Green Head 4) Run to the Light 5) Manic Frustration 6) The Distortion Field 7) Simple Mind Condition 8) Trouble
