As of July 17, 2020, Massive Wagons' album House Of Noise has been released out into the world for the people to take in an enjoy. Mainly Tuning Out checked out the title track earlier in June, and because we enjoyed it so much I wanted to do the deep dive on the album. Featuring a run time of 51 minutes and a healthy 12 tracks, it brings a solid amount of enjoyment.
We open with "In It Together" which is an excellent album start. Big sound with some fun chords peppered in and around the riffs. The drums are mixed well, hell all of it is. This has a fun Bar Rock feeling to it while holding onto the punchy punk attitude that holds this song up. The unity vibe to the chorus works well too. Solid track and it doesn't feel like 4 minutes have elapsed when it comes roaring to a close.
Next up is "Bangin In Your Stereo", which I've been enjoying quite a bit over the last few weeks. It's the perfect blend of AC/DC and Reel Big Fish. Great riffs, bouncy feel, and an arena rock chorus that is easy to yell along to. If you like cruising along in your ride listening to something with your sunglasses on, this is the track for you. A solid follow up for a solid album starter. We're off to a good start.
Track three is the title track "House Of Noise," and you can read a deeper dive on that track from our June write up. Having some context gives this song a bit more of a backbone to lean on, and honestly, it's stronger for it. It's not as anthemic as "In It Together" or as "Bangin In Your Stereo", which helps break up the flow of the album. It also feels more honest to an artist's experience as a musician with the added context. It works well.
"Freak City" is track four, and the intro is fun! It has a bit of a Van Halen feel to it, and it's a welcomed sound. Great lyrics for the opening too, "Freakin' out, I'm freakin' out. There's a fire in my head and it won't go out. Got a pain in my chest that comes and goes, I've been punched in the face so much it shows." Another catchy sing-a-long chorus that would sit well in the rock chorus pantheon (seriously, it's hard not to sing along to it on my second pass through this album). However, even though there's a Classic Rock vibe to this song, it still very honest and fresh. I'm impressed with Massive Wagons' grasp on balancing homage to their inspirations and influences with their own identity as a band. I bet this song rips in a live setting with that chorus and I'm a big fan of the track as a whole.
The fifth track is "Hero". I'm not in love with the title, it feels quite bland compared to its previous siblings. However, the track changes up the pace with a smooth and slippery blues riff backed by some crunchy single strummed chords. The verse is sung over a single note bass line that gives it this fat vibe to it. Dynamically, this song work so far. The chorus is a little dull compared to the verse, but it works. I would say I neither love it or hate it. The other unfortunate choice with this song is it's 6 minute run time. That slow and "emotional" solo could have been a tad shorter (unless it was the album closer, that would have been a sweet way to say goodbye). "Hero"'s saving grace is that excellent verse, and its placement in the tracklist works quite well as a change of pace for the album as a whole, though I believe it would have made a better closer along with "Hellescrewya". This track's chorus embraces that classic AC/DC vibe.
As we continue into the album we are brought to "Professional Creep" which hits the pedal to the floor as far as pace is concerned. It opens with this speedy tremolo-picked riff and it takes off down the road of rock. While overall the song doesn't wow me I enjoy listening to the music as it plugs along with a serious frenetic speed, quite enjoyable. Don't skip this track, but don't expect it to be your favorite either.
Track seven is titled "Pressure" and it opens with some huge and spacious chords with a delightful arpeggio riff before it takes off into a slight Pop-Punk feel. It feels weird at first, but it really works for me. Imagine a Classic Rock veteran who decided to start lightly dabble into Punk Rock, but kept the riffs. The words that keep coming to mind as I listen to this album are nostalgic and fresh, which usually are terms that are at odds with each other, but this album has largely threaded that needle with professional precision. I enjoyed this track, especially the moments that employ that cocked-wah pedal sound, delightful stuff, and dutifully done.
In the 8th slot is "The Curry Song", which I had a little bit of apprehension about when I scanned through the track titles as I sat down to listen to this album. Historically, for this particular listener, songs that are titled "The ____ Song," have never done it for me. For example, "The Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin is meh at best, "The Nile Song" by Pink Floyd is blase (even if it was punk rock Pink Floyd, which was still pretty cool), "The Death Song" by Marilyn Manson is a low point for Mason's career, and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" by the Flaming Lips is a hard listening experience at best.
All that being said, I enjoyed this song more than I care to admit. A song about takeaway curry, while very UK, is strangely and oddly good. I yearn for a good takeaway curry place in my piece of the States. Sure, I will not tell you it's the best song on the album, but compared to the plethora of "The ___ Song"'s that exist in this world, I'd pick this one first and it's definitely not worth skipping. The riffs are solid, and the overall performance is well done.
Ringing in at the ninth slot is "Glorious". The intro doesn't gel as well as previous songs. It seems like a song honoring various friends and fans they've interacted with over the years. This is a cool concept, but it doesn't provide the listener with an investment in the "why should we care?" department. Perhaps this would better serve as something like a Patreon tier reward? I don't know, but this song doesn't do much for me. Regardless, good on them for shouting out some love to their fans and friends.
The 10th track comes back with some pumping rock. It's titled "Sad Sad Song," and I get an early Dropkick Murphy's/Street Dogs vibe, and it's working for me. Lyrically it seems to be a call back to the challenges that memory glosses over when looking back to the "good ol' days" and the struggle of coping with the now. After "Glorious" and "The Curry Song" this song is a welcomed return to the earlier vibe of the album. The ending of this song has a pretty epic vibe to it, with a classic vocals-over-a-musical-fadeout moment that is enjoyable.
Track 11 is titled "Hellescrewya" and it starts with a fade-in, bells, and prayer-like vocals before kicking in a guitar solo about 15 seconds in. Another verse is sung over a solo bass and percussion with palm-muted guitars joining in at the second half of the verse. This formula works for this band. The chorus is reaching for another anthemic chorus. While not un-enjoyable, this song feels like it's reaching for several different paths to take and not quite hitting them. Lyrically it feels like an FU to haters with "Hellescrewya" being a playoff of Hallelujah, even calling out at one point that they're "trying their best not to swear". At the end of the track, they do land the epic chorus outro which is welcomed.
The last track, "Matter Of Time" starts with drumsticks counting off the beat and ushering in a slow jam over a solo. It works okay, although I'm initially worried by the 8 minute run time on this song. At about three minutes in I realize I have a lot to say about this song, and I'll simply leave it at I'm not enjoying it. The sluggish nature of the tempo doesn't sync up well with the overall pace of this album and it's quite jarring. The change to a quicker tempo at 6:13 really helped this song and I wish it had been here this whole time. Vocally this new section also feels much stronger. More of this, please! Honestly, I would have put this track earlier in the album and closed with "Hellescrewya" or "Hero", with a preference for "Hellescrewya". Long story short, this song could have been 3-4 minutes made up of the 2nd half and it would have been so much more enjoyable.
So, that's the album! Overall my thoughts and feelings about this album are hugely positive! I think if Massive Wagons took a lesson from the Death Metal scene and sought out an "All Killer - No Filler" approach they'd only get better. As a listener, I'd rather have 30 minutes of [expletive] amazing music than 50+ minutes of some killer music and some blah music. Most of this album isn't blah either, mostly just "Matter Of Time" and only the first half of that song too. Favorite tracks are definitely "Freak City", "Bangin' In Your Stereo", and "In It Together". I wish they had spaced out the killer tracks on the first half of the album through the whole product because they opened with such force that the back half couldn't sustain the energy. Tracks 1-4 are grade A top choice Rock! Track six on is a little hit or miss, but largely worth the time, at least in this listener's opinion.
House Of Noise is worth a listen, and I predict it will propel this band into the mainstream even more. It has some flaws, but it has some bangers too. You can pick up your copy here. Let me know if you agree! And if you don't, let me know why! If you can make me an argument in defense of "Hero" and "Matter Of Time," I'd love to hear it.
