Psalm 9
Psalm 9 shows how much drive doom metal can contain. Trouble build their debut around enormous riffs but rarely let the music stand still for long. Slow passages have faster outbursts as a counterweight. Between them, two guitars give the songs a melodic connection that reaches beyond the impressive weight of the sound.
The Tempter makes that approach clear immediately. Its opening riff barely seems to move before the band breaks into a driving gallop. The change increases the threat instead of interrupting it. Eric Wagner's strained, rasping voice keeps the music serious even when the pace rises. His singing has sharp edges, but those edges also give the delivery its identity.
Bastards Will Pay takes a more direct route. It proves that Trouble have aggression as well as patience. Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell give these changes a clear shape with their guitar lines. Their harmonies and solos attract attention without pushing the riffs aside. The instrumental Endtime makes extra space for that musicianship and offers another angle on the same dark atmosphere.
The recording is less convincing than the playing. Its lower end feels thin, so the rhythm section does not always have the weight suggested by the compositions. That costs the album some physical force. The riffs and melodies remain strong enough to survive the limitation, however.
The religious lyrics create their own tension. The music sounds threatening even when its point of view is openly Christian. Psalm 9 owes its lasting value to that combination of character and strong songs. This is heavy music with direction, variety and enough melody to stay with you after the first impact.
