MASSIVE WAGONS
Triggered! (Earache)
After catching Massive Wagons live last year and being unimpressed, I approached this album review with apprehension. My main beef was their inconsistency: was their music rock, metal or punk – or just a mess? Fortunately, Triggered! – the Lancaster combo’s sixth studio album – shredded my first impressions.
These guys are still more Adam And The Ants than Anthrax, as the title track shows, but there’s nothing child-friendly here – what singer Baz Mills is willing to do to his genitalia in Germ is X-rated, very funny and reminiscent of The Yobs. Massive Wagons have not had an easy critical ride, frequently labelled a joke band, but many a true word was said in jest, and songs like Generation Prime have lyrics portraying the stark realities of 21st century life.
What’s more, Massive Wagons also crank out great tunes like Sawdust and the anthemic Guilia. Triggered! gives the listener a lot to unpack, and this time I am impressed.
words LYNDA NASH