Description
The self-titled debut album (later re-baptized Psalm 9) by the American doom metal band Trouble was released on Metal Blade Records in March 1984. (Early pressings of this album have only “Trouble” printed on sleeve. Later pressings have “Psalm 9” printed on front sleeve as well.) The album was recorded and mixed February 1984 at Track Record in Los Angeles, California; with Bill Metoyer, Brian Slagel and the band producing.
A huge throwback to the ’70s in every sense (looks, sound, etc.), Chicago’s Trouble had little hope of fitting into the various mid-’80s heavy metal scenes. Instead the band were busy updating the genre’s prehistoric doom teachings for the new decade, beginning with their eponymous debut, later re-baptized Psalm 9. First track, «The Tempter», immediately set the revisionist tone: opening with a plodding, monolithic riff which only grudgingly allowed the song to break into its chugging gallop, while clearly setting Trouble apart from their heroes in Black Sabbath with its pro-God lyrics. Except for this basic but crucial difference of perspective, issues of Heaven and Hell still pervaded much of the album, and ranged from obvious near-sermonizing like «Revelation (Life or Death)» and «Fall of Lucifer», to rather more discreet material such as «Assassin» and «Bastards Will Pay». And even though there were consistently strong combination of elegant melodies and thunderous riffs throughout, some of Psalm 9’s biggest surprises were saved for last, as the instrumental «Endtime» prefaced a straight-up reading of the Bible passage that lends the album its name, and, finally, a faithful cover of Cream’s «Tales of Brave Ulysses». Don’t let all of these understandable English influences confuse you though, for Psalm 9 was undoubtedly one of the opening salvos of a truly American-bred doom style. [Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG]
> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/psalm-9-remastered-2020/1603089049)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “The Tempter”
A2. “Assassin”
A3. “Victim Of The Insane”
A4. “Revelation (Life Or Death)”
Side Two
B1. “Bastards Will Pay”
B2. “The Fall Of Lucifer”
B3. “Endtime”
B4. “Psalm 9”
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Metal Blade Records. The album has been released on CD on four occasions, featuring the CD-only bonus track “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (3:57): in 1990 by Enigma Records; in 1991 by Metal Blade; remastered using the original master tapes and reissued again by Metal Blade in 1994; remastered and reissued again by Escapi Music in October 2006, with a bonus DVD featuring live footage and band interviews.
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[youtube_sc url=”AoH_pRdKKp4″ title=”Trouble – 1982 TV Cable Show (Full)” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
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