Freaking FINALLY a new Don Broco album has graced my ears and I couldn’t be more stoked about it!
I suppose I could say that the almost four years for Nightmare Tripping was worth the wait. Almost. It still sucks that it took that long, but they really did put together an album that totally rules from front to back. In a small snippet of an interview I watched, Rob made it sound like they were very intentional with the tracks that made the final cut to the album this time around rather than just putting on whatever sounds cool. I am hoping this means we’ll get a future album sooner than four years next time if they maybe have that much material still out there.
We were quite spoiled with the amount of music videos we got, but that’s mainly because they released four singles out of the eleven total tracks. And then when the album actually dropped they gave us another one! Overall though, they are kind of boring compared to past ones, but I did like that they all stuck to black and white or generally dark aesthetic. I’m sure if I dig in more to the lyrics there is probably a good reason for going with this style. At least it will be easy to identify what era of Don Broco I’m checking out in the future.
Now talking about the actual songs on this album, they all were probably the heaviest I’ve ever heard from them. Yes, Rob typically comes in with a more gritty and aggressive vocal, but he was actually screaming a lot in this album. I did catch a short intreview clip where he claims he never took any lessons on proper screaming techniques, so he’s just hoping for the best. Rob – we’re not getting any younger – take care of yourself! But Matt, too, offered some screams here and there amidst his clean vocals. The two of them have such different tones that they always sound good together, and they can nail the harmonies, too!
When I went to listen to the album in its proper order, opening with “Cellophane” was actually the perfect move. It’s got an epic sound that really sets up what the rest of the album is going to sound like. The scratchy guitars and Matt’s vocals really add a cool echoing element, but Rob’s screams are cool, too! I found that the pull back on the chorus is a perfect addition to this song. Following that strong opener up with “Disappear,” probably my favortie track on the record, was a great combo for me. I really like the kind of revving energy it has, but it also sounds like the perfect bridge between the style of Amazing Things and this new record.
Though I did come to really enjoy “Somersaults” after a couple of listens, I can’t help but think that the beginning sounds like we came in on the middle of a song. The vocals kind of run together, but I do like the delivery – it reminds me of the 2000s in a way. But what really seals the deal are the very pretty harmonies towards the end. For anyone that’s ever doubted their place in rock and metal – listen to title track, “Nightmare Tripping!” Rob screaming is so fun, and while I’m not wild about the way the Nickelback chorus sounds, it’s cool that they’re in it! I also love how they’re able to incorporate the two extra vocalists evenly and the spoken word part made me laugh a bit with lyrics like “John Mayer still playing on my iPhone.”
If you’re looking for the next “One True Prince” then look no further than “Ghost in the Night.” The vocals in this song are so, so good, and maybe the rest of it hits some bits of nostalgia in my brain, because I couldn’t help but think of some bands from the past that I liked. But the bridge also magically sounded a bit like Silversun Pickups with that guitar build – love! But a way to top that song is to follow it up with “True Believers.” This is maybe looking to take over the top spot for me, and I love that it’s their statement song on the album. Those casual listeners might not pick up on it, but I love that they have good take and messages spilling into this album after being peppered throughout Amazing Things. Though I don’t listen to Architects, Sam Carter fits in so seamlessly (surprisingly his part gave me goosebumps!), and Matt’s vocals are the perfect contrast and give it that culty religious edge to really stick the point.
I will say, “Euphoria” being the song that follows “True Believers” felt like a weird choice. It just totally stopped the momentum like a brick wall. With that being said, I do like that the clean and neat vocals at the start of the song don’t give away the hardcore riffs that come in right after. Some high points of the song include Matt’s PERFECT fall-off vocals, the second chorus has some SICK bass, and I also really like the tinny sounding guitar at the end. “Pacify Me” comes across as the most experimental song off this album for me. Matt’s chant of “pacify me” is really beautiful, which kind of offset the funny interjections throughout the song. All of that happens to work well the experimental nature of the song, but they still manage to get in a heavy riff at the very end. Fear not!
“Swimming Pools,” perhaps a cousin to “Swimwear Season,” gave off really strong Death From Above 1979 and Queens of the Stone Age vibes. I can’t say why, but I think this would play really well at future festivals. I hope I get the chance to experience it! Somehow “Hype Man” has lowered itself at the bottom of the tracklist for me, but it is still such a strong track. I found that I really liked the talking vocal treatment that Matt applies here, and I also decided that this is another song that really helps summarize the style of the whole album. Rob’s really testing the abilities of his vocals on this album, and I have to say what he does on the closing track, “The Corner,” is not my favorite. I like that this song starts off with a bit of an influence from The Cure, but lyrically this seems like one of their most personal songs.
All in all, I can’t wait to listen to this album over and over and over again. And then I hope I get the chance to sing these songs at the top of my lungs at a live show at some point this year. Hopefully I get nothing but good karma from the two failed attempt at seeing them in Dallas at the start of the year. Broco forever!