Trouble County are a power trio from the Portsmouth area in Hampshire England. The guys are vocalist and guitarist Joolz, bassist and backing vocalist Marky Mark and drummer JD Rocker. The guys have all been around in other bands for a while and it shows in their sound and performances. They name-check influences from amongst others Alice In Chains, Clutch, Sabbath, Faith No More and Blackberry Smoke. There are clearly elements of classic rock, stoner metal, grunge and southern rock in their sound. They now have 5 singles out and all of them have a commercial edge or should I say have an accessible feel to them meaning that on the whole, they are rock radio-friendly. Their latest is called “Awake” which there is a video for which will be at the bottom of this article. They are planning an EP for early 2021 and of course like everyone else are desperate to hit the road playing venues up and down the country.
“Awake” starts off doomy, heavy stonerish in riffs but changes course a couple of times. Joolz voice is throaty, whiskey-soaked (or at least sounds it), nice and gruff but yet crystal clear. They know how to put out good riffs and both drummer JD Rocker and bassist Marky Mark have plenty of space to show little flourishes and fills to keep the whole thing interesting. There is a huge (previously mentioned) Faith No More sound or vibe around the half way point. Interestingly on the previous single (which can be bought at their Bandcamp page… see below for link) “12 Gauge Blues” there is a hint of Queens Of The Stone Age at one point, so they are happy to use even alternative rock bands influences to enhance their own sound. What I can say is both tracks or new singles recently released are dirty, groovy and tasty. Go and check them out and I guarantee you will find yourself moving along with the grooves.
