Trigger Effect – What's Left to Eliminate?

Canadian punks Trigger Effect are running on adrenaline - most movements on their latest LP clock in at under two minutes, with little to no breathing room. Vocalist Nick Babeu's sharp, enraged shouts bear an obvious resemblance to Baroness frontman John Baizley; he tirelessly wails and howls his way through relentless guitar noise and tight, efficient drumming in the album's first half, before a well-needed change of pace occurs with part VII, a solemn, keyboard-led interlude-cum-sorrowful guitar-led ballad.

 

The album's raw, live sound makes sense given the band's rich touring history, but the songs themselves lack substance: they're built around rapid riffs and little else. The Power and the Glory squeezes in some quick tempo shifts and strong hooks, and He Knows Now throws some more atmosphere into the mix, but it's all too little too late. What's Left to Eliminate? often feels like listening to a single, twenty-plus minute song with only a couple of notable standouts. [Ross Watson]