Hawkes Bay’s Classic Metal exponents Black Smoke Trigger bring us their new single Perfect Torture. The genre cluster these guys live in and perform from is quite literally what I grew from teenager to adult listening to. The number of close personal friends I could name who would love this band would easily top three figures.

Baldrick and the guys have veered from the boogie rock, riff-driven sound for this single. That’s great. They ain’t pigeon-holing themselves. This track smacks of professionalism and commercial savvy for the rock music scene, and how to deliver it as a complete package. And Black Smoke Trigger is definitely the complete package.

Baldrick‘s got an immense set of pipes. He can hit several pitches and run between them seamlessly. This performance, coupled with the power chords and atmospheric vibe, put me in mind of Lenny Wolf and Kingdom Come. Also House Of Lords, another classic metal band in this vein. A touch of the chap from Offspring adds a cheekiness to the vocal timbre, and the stones of The Almighty’s Ricky Warwick brings images of a set of lungs better suited to a blue whale. Massive voice. The melody, as a more atmospheric tale to be told, has shades of Evanescence, but delivered in the way I’ve described from Baldrick. I give you a lot of band names but it all adds up to a highly engaging, professional and unique vocal.

The track begins with acoustic guitar. This works really well in that it draws you down a certain path of perception that the introduction of the electric guitars and full band doesn’t then sway you from. It sets the scene, if you like, for the video storyboard. This is available on the You Tubes now, so go take a look. Dollars have been spent and spent well. The visuals are great, and fit the mood of the composition. No leaping off Sky Towers this time, sorry, but this is very much a quality video with budget to do so. Classy.

The track was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee by Nick Raskulinecz. It’s a rich mix, a deep and heavy bottom end complimented by thick guitar mastering with the treble turned down. Somehow puts me in mind of the blend of Tipton and Downing during Judas Priest‘s heyday. Very good guitar pairing, interwoven lead and rhythm, tight and hard.

It’s a live show song, and one for the telly when Metal Hour is on wherever you may be at the time. It’s out already, as mentioned, so check out the vid, or on their (and our) Spotty Fly playlist. These guys sound too big for these shores. I sense Melbourne and then the likes of Los Angeles on the horizon.

Damn fine again BSM. Well done those chaps.