If I was the head of Ferret, Trustkill or Victory Records, I’d be knocking on the door of the A&R departments demanding why Trophy Scars weren’t part of my roster. After all, this is a band that mixes melody, muscle and sounds like a concoction of Blood Brothers and Boys Night Out, only betters practically every ‘heavy’ band the three labels have ever put out. While so many acts these days seem to go down the shouty, aggressive route and just flex their musical prowess with brute force, Trophy Scars‘ innovative and clever way of tackling the genre makes them stand out way ahead of their peers. Their last two EPs have been great and this full length is even better.
While Trophy Scars don’t do anything that’s wholly new, they do it in a refreshing and invigorating way. With ‘An Introduction. All Introductions’ building and brooding, ‘Artist. Artists’ is like a swift kick to the stomach, with Jerry Jones’ patented punch coming at you like a swift uppercut. The band can switch from the brutal to the serene with ease and it’s what Trophy Scars do best. This record, at 16 tracks, actually floats in between songs with bits carrying over with atmospherics – there’s even rapping which, while reminscient of From First To Last‘s secret track, actually fits in well with the rest of the album.
‘Addict. Addicts’ sounds like Blood Brothers and I know it’s an oft-used comparison with Trophy Scars, but it’s genuinely about the only band you can compare them too. Lyrically Jones has this spot on, talking about personal anxieties and what appears to be his own take on life and his problems. It’s done in such a clever and graphic way that reading the sleeve notes – which are excellent by the way – is a must. I think you can tell that I really like this band and that, for me, I can’t really do any review justice. My simple advice would be to go and listen because Trophy Scars are on top of their game right now.
www.myspace.com/trophyscars
The Death Scene
paul