ALBUM REVIEW: Trash Boat – Heaven Can Wait

’…if you’re seeking something to maybe throw on in the background during your workouts, then this will serve you well…’

Trash Boat have remained a band ready to break into the upper echelons of alternative for quite some time now. The five-piece gained a sizeable following after the positive reception of their previous, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’, accompanied by widespread touring that included supporting the legendary Enter Shikari.

Now the band have returned with their fourth album, and may win the award for best album artwork of the year. ‘Heaven Can Wait’ attempts to be an exercise in exorcising the negative emotions born of the impending doom of modern society. Whilst the results are mixed, the album is certain to get you moving like it’s the end of the world.

‘Heaven Can Wait’ is an album packed with tunes simply begging to be played live. Trash Boat bring a relentless energy throughout each and every track that seems to almost guarantee mosh pit after mosh pit in a live setting; the collision of scrappy post-hardcore punk aggression and arena-sized metal feels sonically relevant and wholly natural.

‘Watching Heaven…’ and ‘…Burn’ rip the album open in explosive fashion, with high octane riffs that slam into the listener with force. ‘The Drip’ is a visceral yet witty commentary on the purpose of capitalism, delivered in such a scathing way that it puts much bigger so-called political bands to shame. ‘Better Than Yesterday’ may prove to be the top highlight here however, with its spacious, sparkling instrumental, and genuinely emotive vocal delivery.

However, outside of these specific highlights, there’s little to really shout about. Trash Boat have produced a collection of tracks that feel so focused on sounding massive that they ultimately often end up feeling completely hollow and uninspired; every musical element here, from the riffs to the breakdowns, feel as though they have already been performed better by a different band. This isn’t to say that Trash Boat perform badly, but more that they end up sounding like an incredibly accomplished cover band.

This extends to the lyricism. With such a commanding title and album artwork, it is a real disappointment that the record frequently refuses to thematically expand beyond generic ‘fuck you’ sentiments. Allusions to ‘wolves at the door’ and being ‘dragged under’ only further compound the issue, turning the record into your bog-standard collection of teenage metal anthems. There is a cheap catharsis to be found in this, but little else of any substance or impact.

It is a real shame because when Trash Boat hit the mark, they not only demonstrate that they are accomplished musicians, but possess the ability to write meaningful and unique modern metal; songs that are not only worth revisiting, but remembering. The unwillingness to truly challenge themselves or the genres they pull influence from makes this a record you might listen to once or twice, before putting on a record that did all of this better ten years ago.

‘Heaven Can Wait’ is a decent record with a fun energy and some genuinely cool highlights, and if you’re seeking something to maybe throw on in the background during your workouts, then this will serve you well. If you’re seeking a record that will blow your mind, however, then Trash Boat probably aren’t the band you’re looking for.

A solid 100/100 on the artwork, if nothing else.

RATING: 68/100 – Mostly Good

For Fans Of: Architects, unpeople, We Are The Ocean, L.S. Dunes

Physical copies are available to purchase here.

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Instagram // Spotify // Twitter