They say that hard work pays off and that’s certainly the case for Lancaster’s Massive Wagons. Six albums released since their formation in 2009 have seen the band move from pub band to festival headliners and UK top 20 album chart residents. It’s all a bit of a mystery to me as they’ve never really done anything to excite me. But thousands can’t be wrong so I’m giving the band another go with their latest album, Triggered!
Album opener is single “Fuck the Haters”. A middle finger at anyone who feels the need to bully other people in any sphere of life, it’s an anthemic two and a half minutes that is sure to be a fan favourite. Melodic rock with a big chorus, it’s interesting to see that Planet Rock premiered it because they must have had substantial editing to do on it. The distinctive vocals of Barry ‘Baz’ Mills stand out.
It’s obvious that Massive Wagons are expanding their sound. The rock n roll remains at the heart of their sound, but they are throwing in more influences. The pop punk and even reggae feel of “Generation Prime” mixes things up with Mills’ clever lyrics adding bite alongside a guest appearance by Newport’s favourite son Benji Webbe. And as the band state, there’s a big British sound on the album. “I think this album is a lot more British sounding. I think we’ve managed to bring our sound more up to date, it sounds fresh and exciting. It has much more of a punk vibe about it, but that being said, it’s still full of everything we love about guitar music.” He’s not wrong, for there is a lot of the style of pop punk bands on Triggered! “A.S.S.H.O.L.E” and “Skateboard” are songs to sing along to with catchy hooks digging deep into the ears.
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The title track is very much an observation on society today. Backed by the striking image on the album cover of a very masculine-looking man with face tattoos (another ridiculous taboo in modern society) wearing pink eye shadow, “Triggered” has a simple message. It’s also a catchy, poppy track that has some dynamic riffs. It’s the way the album progresses, with each song laid out in a similar format but with subtle twists that make them easily identifiable as Massive Wagons.
Triggered! will no doubt push the band further into the rock hierarchy. Songs like “Germ” and “Never Been a Problem” will get their loyal fanbase bouncing up and down, guitar driven in much the way that The Wildhearts have done for over quarter of a century. In fact, it’s The Wildhearts that come to mind when listening to this band, for they share many of the same traits. Unafraid of being potty mouthed, Massive Wagons are bringing their music on their terms and if you don’t like it, then move on down the road. It’s highly likely that Triggered! will follow House of Noise into a top ten position come release day.
With broad appeal, Massive Wagons continue to go from strength to strength. They may not be for everyone, but their hard work is most definitely working. Triggered! will only continue the upward trajectory and with a co-headline tour with Ugly Kid Joe shortly, they are beginning to reap the deserved rewards.
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Triggered! is out on October 28th
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