Most of our lives we are told to stop dreaming and get our heads out of the clouds. Said to keep us grounded, realistic, and protected from disappointment, the truth is sometimes you need to dream in order to stay alive. That is where Black Smoke Trigger comes in; a band full of Rock-n-Roll aspirations who are on the precipice of very big things.
Coming out of New Zealand, the members of Black Smoke Trigger grew up on a steady diet of Classic Rock, Hard Rock, and Heavy Metal that has been tethered to their souls. Dedicated to the music, they officially came together in 2019 as Black Smoke Trigger with a lineup consisting of Vocalist Baldrick Rasmussen (simply known as Baldrick), Guitarist Charlie Wallace, Bassist Dan Fulton, and Drummer Josh Te Maro. Together with a tight knit group of players, they have years of skill developing under their belts, and interestingly enough Wallace himself is also the founder of Guitar Mastery Method. An online guitar lesson community offering players of any level instruction on how to improve, he and a group of other guitarists offer a group of instructions through the highly rated guitarmasterymethod.com. East to see why this enterurpertual venture could be a source of inspiration for Wallace and Black Smoke Trigger, there is still plenty more to discuss about this up and coming band.
Hard working and steadfast on their own artistic visution, the band has blazed their own trail over the last five years writing and recording original music. Making their debut back in August of 2019 with the single “Caught in the Undertow,” it immediately became clear their sound was energized, heavy, and rooted in a Classic Rock world, opposed to riding the coattails of any other modern trends. A bold first taste, you immediately realize this band plays from the heart, takes pride in such, and are not relying on any modern studio trickery.
This in-mind, the band would then drop their second single “You Can Have It All” in October of 2019, and with it showed hints of Grunge and Post-Grunge, reminding you of Alice in Chains, or later bands like U.P.O., Full Devil Jacket, as well as Stereomud. Rather cool to hear, these two songs laid a strong foundation for Black Smoke Trigger who went onto put out their debut EP Set It Off in November of 2019. A collection of seven songs they recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with Michael Wagener (who has worked with everyone from Dokken to Metallica), the independent EP amazingly landed in peak positions during its first week on Billboard charts. Proving these guys had something everyone was interested in hearing, the EP itself is a potent dose of Hard Rock with bluesy vibes, and in some regards, possessing a very ‘90s ascetic. Furthermore, the track “The Way I’m Wire” (also featured on Set It Off) actually features Legendary Mötley Crüe Guitarist Mick Mars.
So, after spending ample time building on these strong beings, where are Black Smoke Trigger in 2024? Well, the band found solid management in 2021 with Andy Gould (who has managed many, including Rob Zombie, Guns N’ Roses, plus more), has continued to tour, and at last arrived with their first ever full-length studio album on August 2nd.
Something they began working on in 2022, they teamed up with acclaimed Producer Nick Raskulinecz (known for his work with Stone Sour, Deftones, Korn, etc.), and put together twelve new songs that should capture the attention of Hard Rock fans worldwide. Calling it Horizons, again, Black Smoke Trigger rely on their own writing skills and talents, offering straight forward Rock songs that are full of punch, but more importantly are polar opposite of what many others on the modern scene are doing with auto-tuned vocals and glossy Pop tones. Lead by recommended tracks like “The Way Down,” as well as the soaring “Proof of Life,” if you are looking for active Rock bands as a comparious, Black Smoke Trigger’s sound would appeal to fans of Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, Godsmack, or newer acts like Any Given Sin.
Still working independent of a label, Black Smoke Trigger should amass more and more attention as momentum builds. Galvanized by Baldrick’s extremely impassioned singing, as a collective their songs are rich with melody, tight rhythms, and well-crafted and placed guitar solos. With a lot to offer, the band continue to get the exposure they need; recently playing with the likes of Halestorm in April, touring with Filter through Australia, plus opening for Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson in Europe in May.
The obvious next step would be catching on a North American tour alongside anyone from the aforementioned Shinedown, to Sevendust or Seether. In truth, with the fragmented modern music market where there are so many platforms and so little attention span, it is a tough nut to crack, but hopefully the cream will rise to the top with Black Smoke Trigger.
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