BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Release Debut Album; Drop New Single "Phantom Pain"

August 2, 2024

Black Smoke Trigger, the rising rock sensation from New Zealand, have today officially unveiled their latest record, "Horizons", alongside a new reverbant single, "Phantom Pain". Stream the brand new record HERE and watch the "Phantom Pain" music video below.

"Horizons" marks yet another groundbreaking moment in their career, showcasing Black Smoke Trigger's unique blend of hard-hitting riffs, anthemic choruses, and vivid emotional depth. With their latest single, "Phantom Pain" finds the band performing to a massive crowd, highlighting their electrifying energy and stage presence that have become their signature.

Speaking on today’s release, Charlie Wallace, guitarist of Black Smoke Trigger shares

"‘We are stoked to finally release 'Horizons' to the world. We poured our hearts & souls into this record. We've had fans who have waiting a long time and new fans who have just discovered us so it's an exciting time. The journey we went through to make this album was crazy, trips back and forth to the US, getting stuck in Mexico, producer Nick (Raskulinecz) traveling to New Zealand to finish the record turning my whole house into a studio... It was a wild ride and some of the best times of our lives. A couple of us went through personal struggles of losing parents during the process, which inspired the last track 'Promise', and everyone made big sacrifices to make this record a reality. We are very proud of this record, it's our best work yet!"

Black Smoke Trigger continues to ride the high of their dynamic rock, anchored by the distinctive guitar work of Wallace and the commanding vocals of Baldrick combined with their pummelling rhythm section courtesy of bassist Dan Fulton, and drummer Josh Te Maro. Fast becoming known for not only churning out certified 10/10, arena ready rock bangers, Black Smoke Trigger are also quickly garnering a reputation for creating incendiary and often death defying music videos.

Their previous single, "Sun Cries Red" followed the success of their earlier singles "K.M.T.L", "Proof of Life" "Perfect Torture" and “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube. The release sees Black Smoke Trigger continue to deliver on their promise of high-energy rock music that's both entertaining and deeply relatable.

Prior to this new string of singles, the band put out track “Caught In The Undertow”, the video for which was also a feat of extreme conditions. Filmed at Muriwai beach in Auckland, New Zealand and at a helicopter crash testing facility in a 3.6M deep pool, the whole band performed much of the song underwater creating a stunning visual that has clocked up 3.2 million Youtube views and highlighting the band’s dedication to creating unforgettable visual accompaniments for their hard-hitting rock anthems.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

Black Smoke Trigger are led by Wallace (creator of the hugely successful Guitar Mastery Method) whose insane talent provides everything from delicate melodic motifs to face-melting shred solos and stadium-conquering riffs. They are fronted by incendiary vocalist Baldrick, whose impressive vocal abilities provide that indefinable, timeless rock n roll soul to the Black Smoke Trigger sound. Bassist Dan Fulton, and drummer Josh Te Maro round out the line-up, joining forces to create a powerhouse rhythmic backbone and one of the most bombastic and inventive rhythm sections of recent years.

With a rapidly growing fanbase, millions of streams, a reputation for raucous live shows and irrepressibly fearless approach to their craft, Black Smoke Trigger are poised to be the biggest and most thrilling entity to come from New Zealand since the Lord of The Rings movies. Just with more rock n roll and less hobbits.

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Announces Long-Awaited Debut Album; Drops New Single "Sun Cries Red"

July 10, 2024

Black Smoke Trigger, the rising rock sensation from New Zealand, is set to release their highly anticipated debut album titled "Horizons" on August 2nd. Alongside this exciting announcement comes the release of their latest single, "Sun Cries Red," accompanied by a captivating performance video. Stream the track HERE and watch the music video below. Pre-orders for the album are available now, HERE.

Speaking on today’s announcement and their latest track, Charlie Wallace, guitarist of Black Smoke Trigger shares

"‘Sun Cries Red’ came to life while we were in pre-production for the album 'Horizons.' After the initial writing session, we stayed up all night recording the demo. Dan finished his bass part and went to bed, and the rest of us continued on in an alcohol-fuelled recording session. After going over and over the song, adding different layers in our AirBnb in Nashville, Dan burst out of his room absolutely pissed off that we had been going so long and so loud, which was kind of hilarious. We needed to finish the demo, so of course, we just continued on. A couple of days later, when I was recording the guitar solo in the studio, he said 'Where did that solo come from!?' which was possibly one of the funniest moments from recording the album. After explaining it was written when he was all pissed off that he couldn't sleep, he said 'well I didn't realize you were writing epic stuff like that,' it was good fun.

The song lyrically is about looking back at something that is important but neglected, seeing something in a shadow of its former glory.

Continuing the recording process, producer Nick Raskulinecz suggested we experiment by adding a string section to the song, Josh ended up writing all those parts and it took the song to another level."

"We are beyond excited to finally release the album 'Horizons', it has been such a crazy journey to get to this point and we poured everything we have into it."

"Sun Cries Red" follows the success of their previous singles "K.M.T.L", "Proof of Life" "Perfect Torture" and “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube. The release sees Black Smoke Trigger continue to deliver on their promise of high-energy rock music that's both entertaining and deeply relatable.

With the announcement of their hotly anticipated debut album, the horizon shines bright for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Announces Long Awaited Debut Album 'Horizons'

May 15, 2024

New Zealand hard rock powerhouse BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER have dropped their new single "Learn To Crawl" today, accompanied by an evocative official music video. Stream the new track HERE and watch the official music video below.

Speaking on the new single, BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER guitarist and band leader Charlie Wallace shares:

“Learn to Crawl is about somebody who has pretended to be an angel in your life, but as time goes on, you learn who they really are. The inspiration came from a situation I found myself in a few years ago but it seems that everybody who hears the song, makes up their own meaning with an experience they’ve had in their own life. So this is really one of those songs where the listener gets to decide what and who it’s about.

Musically it’s very different from everything else we have done so far, lots of layered vocal harmonies really add a haunting quality to the track.

The music video was filmed in my house, the setting just seemed to fit the song so well, and really focuses on the performance of the track.”

"Learn To Crawl" follows previously released singles "K.M.T.L", "Proof of Life" "Perfect Torture" and “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube.

Black Smoke Trigger start their invasion of the UK and Europe this week. Kicking off proceedings will be the band's debut UK headline show at The Corn Exchange in Hertford tonight (Weds 15th May), followed by a run of support dates with Bruce Dickinson that begin tomorrow in Wolverhampton. For more info and tickets head to www.blacksmoketrigger.com.

The horizon shines brightly for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for much more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

With a rapidly growing fanbase, millions of streams, a reputation for raucous live shows and irrepressibly fearless approach to their craft, wether it be performing completley under water for their video "Caught In The Undertow" (3.2 million views) or jumping off the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst shredding a guitar solo for "The Way Down"(1.3 million views). Black Smoke Trigger are poised to be the biggest and most thrilling entity to come from New Zealand since the Lord of The Rings movies. Just with more rock n roll and less hobbits.

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Unveils High-Octane Single & Music Video 'K.M.T.L.'

March 20, 2024

New Zealand's rock powerhouse Black Smoke Trigger has released their anthemic new single 'K.M.T.L.', complete with a dynamic music video that perfectly captures the song's raw intensity. Stream the track HEREand watch the accompanying music video below.

'K.M.T.L.' speaks to the relentless drive and sometimes dizzying pursuit of making dreams a reality. Partly written at Nashville's historic Sienna Studio and recorded by producer Nick Raskulinecz at his Rock Falcon Studio, the band channeled the grit and determination required to achieve success against the odds into their latest offering. The track sprang to life in the jam room, the initial riff playing out almost as if by instinct, guitarist and band leader, Charlie Wallace recounts "K.M.T.L. began in the jam room, I was talking to the band I noticed my hands were playing the beginning motif of the song, I just kept playing it and we started jamming. It felt like it was building to something so we wanted to write a chorus with tons of energy and I think we got just that by the end of the jam session."

The music video for 'K.M.T.L.' is an adrenaline-fueled visual spectacle. "The opening line 'It all keeps spinning' was the inspiration for what was a highly energetic shoot on a circular camera dolly track," explains Wallace. Filmed on a massive theatre stage next to the Auckland SkyTower, the video features continuous rotation, mirroring the song's theme of pushing through the spin of life's challenges to come out victorious on the other side. "It's lit up like a big stage because we just wanted to show what people can expect when they see us play this track live."

"K.M.T.L" follows the success of their previous singles "Proof of Life" "Perfect Torture" and “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube. The release sees Black Smoke Trigger continue to deliver on their promise of high-energy rock music that's both entertaining and deeply relatable.

Black Smoke Trigger will be supporting Filter on the Australia and New Zealand leg of their Algorithm World Tour next month, will be hitting the road to support Bruce Dickinson in the UK this May. For full dates and tickets head to www.blacksmoketrigger.com

With their debut, full length album set for release this year, the horizon shines bright for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for much more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Drop Electrifying New Single; "PROOF OF LIFE"

February 21, 2024

New Zealand's most rocking exports, Black Smoke Trigger have today announced the release of their explosive new single "Proof of Life", accompanied by a high-octane music video that captures the band's raw performance energy. Stream the new track HERE and watch the official music video below.

Speaking on the the inspiration behind "Proof of Life", guitarist and band leader, Charlie Wallace shares “This track came together really fast, I was playing around with an alternate tuning I had never written in before and the main riff just arrived in my hands almost instantly. I took it into the jam room with the guys and very soon we had the first demo done. In the studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, we played around with lots of guitars to find the right tone, and I think we nailed it. Proof Of Life is about how we often hold ourselves ransom in our own mind, and the inner battles a lot of us face on a daily basis without realizing we are in control the whole time. It’s about pushing through and breaking yourself free from things that are holding you back, whatever they may be,"

The music video for "Proof of Life" strips back the frills to showcase what Black Smoke Trigger does best — deliver a fervent and energetic rock performance. "For the music video, we wanted it to be a raw and energetic performance of the song, it was a lot of fun to film as all we did was get in the weird room we created to set the vibe and go hard,” Wallace continues, emphasizing the pure adrenaline rush the video conveys.

As Black Smoke Trigger prepares to hit the road with Filter and Bruce Dickinson, "Proof of Life" sets the perfect tone for what fans can expect from their live shows — an unbridled celebration of rock that's both cathartic and liberating.

“Proof of Life” follows the release of their previous singles, "Perfect Torture" and “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube. Prior to that, the band put out track “Caught In The Undertow”, the video for which was also a feat of extreme conditions. Filmed at Muriwai beach in Auckland, New Zealand and at a helicopter crash testing facility in a 3.6M deep pool, the whole band performed much of the song underwater creating a stunning visual that has clocked up 3.2 million Youtube views and highlighting the band’s dedication to creating unforgettable visual accompaniments for their hard-hitting rock anthems.

Black Smoke Trigger will be supporting Filter on the Australia and New Zealand leg of their Algorithm World Tour this April and will be hitting the road to support Bruce Dickinson in the UK this May. For full dates and tickets head to www.blacksmoketrigger.com

With their debut, full length album set for release this May, the horizon shines bright for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for much more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Unveil Heartfelt Single "PERFECT TORTURE"

January 24, 2024

In a touching nod to the recent natural turmoil in their homeland of New Zealand, rock powerhouse, Black Smoke Trigger, have dropped their latest single "Perfect Torture". The single comes with a striking music video that beautifully parallels the emotional turbulence of the song with the band's personal experience with Cyclone Gabrielle and the devastation it wreaked on their hometown of Hawke’s Bay. Stream the powerfully emotive track HERE and watch the music video below.

"Perfect Torture really developed in the studio, with producer Nick Raskulinecz we experimented a lot to get the vibe right and I think we nailed it. The raw acoustic intro really allows space to show off Baldrick's voice and the song really goes from 0 - 60 as it gets darker and reaches the first chorus where Baldrick completely unleashes. The song is about someone you love that just doesn't make it easy, but in the end, you know it's worth the fight to weather to storm, hence the line 'Your love is perfect torture'. We really wanted this song to be a journey when you listen to it, and take you through different emotions, from the most calming & loving, to the complete opposite," says guitarist and band leader Charlie Wallace.

Creating a visual representation for "Perfect Torture" became more than a music video production – it turned into a labor of love and a tribute. The song's thematic focus on emotional struggle is mirrored in the video's stormy imagery, paying tribute to the resilience shown by those affected. "Perfect Torture" stands as a powerful metaphor for the trials and tribulations that challenge us, both in love and life.

"After we had the concept and figured out how to pull it off, our director was having a hard time finding an art department who was going to create what we wanted, so we said, “screw it, let's be the art department!”. So the band and our crew created the surreal hill you see in the video. All of the leaves, trees and real grass actually came from my house, my Dad drove it all up in a van to the studio in Auckland that we filmed it. We had just had a cyclone (Cyclone Gabrielle) that really devastated our hometown in Hawke's Bay, so I drove down to the river to collect a bunch of stuff that had been washed up. This for us gave it a bigger meaning, as there were people who lost their homes, pets and even their lives in this cyclone. So having a music video showing a storm coming in and wreaking havoc, in a weird way, is a tribute to what people had to go through," Wallace reflects on the creative process.

“Perfect Torture” follows the release of their previous single, “The Way Down”, the video for which saw the band perform atop the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere whilst Wallace jumped off the edge, shredding a guitar solo whilst plummeting 630ft and has clocked up over 1 million views on YouTube. Prior to that, the band put out track “Caught In The Undertow”, the video for which was also a feat of extreme conditions. Filmed at Muriwai beach in Auckland, New Zealand and at a helicopter crash testing facility in a 3.6M deep pool, the whole band performed much of the song underwater creating a stunning visual that has clocked up 3.2 million Youtube views and highlighting the band’s dedication to creating unforgettable visual accompaniments for their hard-hitting rock anthems.

Black Smoke Trigger will be supporting Filter on the Australia and New Zealand leg of their Algorithm World Tour this April. For full dates and tickets head to www.blacksmoketrigger.com

With their debut, full length album set for release this May, the horizon shines bright for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for much more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

Black Smoke Trigger are led by Wallace (creator of the hugely successful Guitar Mastery Method) whose insane talent provides everything from delicate melodic motifs to face-melting shred solos and stadium-conquering riffs. They are fronted by incendiary vocalist Baldrick, whose impressive vocal abilities provide that indefinable, timeless rock n roll soul to the Black Smoke Trigger sound. Bassist Dan Fulton, and drummer Josh Te Maro round out the line-up, joining forces to create a powerhouse rhythmic backbone and one of the most bombastic and inventive rhythm sections of recent years.

BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER Defy Death In Adrenaline Fueled Video For Brand New Single “THE WAY DOWN”

October 18, 2023

New Zealand rock juggernauts Black Smoke Trigger have unleashed their hard-hitting new single “The Way Down” today. The accompanying death-defying music video sees Black Smoke Trigger go to extreme lengths in pursuit of rock n roll glory. Filmed atop The Auckland Sky Tower, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, the video features the band performing on the rooftop 630ft up and guitarist, Charlie Wallace, jumping off the building whilst shredding a guitar solo. Stream the new track HERE and watch the adrenaline fuelled, heart stopping music video below.

Speaking on the filming of their death defying video, Wallace shares

"Standing on the outside edge of the tower, 630ft up, at night time with a helicopter whirling around us filming was surreal. I've always liked the idea of making a music video for a song, a literal definition of the title. Like when we filmed a music video underwater for our track 'Caught In The Undertow'. So for 'The Way Down' I closed my eyes and thought... What's the highest place we could perform this song, then jump off to have a literal definition of 'The Way Down'?

The idea came to me pretty quickly, the Auckland Sky Tower here in New Zealand is the tallest free standing structure in the southern hemisphere. Telling the band about the idea, no one else was too keen to jump off, so I drew the short straw with that one. It took a bit of convincing to let me play the guitar solo while falling 630ft from the outside edge of the building, and some custom metal clamps that attached to a harness so the guitar didn't fall away from me. It was quite the experience jumping off such a tall building while playing a guitar solo, and to get the coverage we needed for the video, as soon as I jumped once, I had to run to the elevator and jump off again straight away.”

The band will be hosting a very special online release party today to celebrate the long awaited arrival of ‘The Way Down’. The live stream will give fans the opportunity to win signed gear, participate in a live Q&A with the band, watch exclusive behind the scenes footage from "The Way Down" video shoot and more. Fans can pre-register for a free ticket to join the festivities at https://go.blacksmoketrigger.com/the-way-down-party

Produced by the legendary Nick Raskulinecz (Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, RUSH) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, Muse, Prince), “The Way Down” is an arena ready rock anthem that combines a gigantic, toe tapping riff from leader and guitarist Charlie Wallace (creator of the hugely successful Guitar Mastery Method) with soaring vocals from frontman Baldrick, who’s soaring vocal range channels icons like Chris Cornell and Layne Staley in both passion and versatility and a pummelling rhythm section courtesy of Bassist Dan Fulton, and drummer Josh Te Maro. The track follows the band’s previous single “Caught In The Undertow”, the video for which was also a feat of extreme conditions. Filmed at Muriwai beach in Auckland, New Zealand and at a helicopter crash testing facility in a 3.6M deep pool, the whole band performed much of the song underwater, highlighting their dedication to creating unforgettable visual accompaniments for their hard-hitting rock anthems. Speaking on the writing of "The Way Down", Wallace continues

“We are really excited to finally release this single, it's been a long time coming. The Way Down came together really quickly with Dan and I passing the guitar and bass back and forth experimenting with different chords and rhythms to get the vibe we were wanting to achieve. The tension that the verse builds makes it feel great to smash into the chorus when we perform it live. We recorded the track with producer Nick Raskulinecz in his studio in Nashville, TN and the whole recording process was a lot of fun. Nick really pushed us and came up with great ideas to take it to another level. We are really proud of the result we've got and can't wait to let our fans hear it.”

Blending raw punk aggression with arena-ready hooks, “The Way Down” provides the perfect soundtrack as Black Smoke Trigger literally dives into the unknown. The latest single cements this ambitious quartet as heavy music’s most daring new force.

With elite musicianship honed from years of tireless work, Black Smoke Trigger show no signs of compromise in their pursuit of creating pure exhilarating rock chaos. Their unbridled passion bleeds through every note.

The horizon shines bright for these Kiwi rock trailblazers. Stay tuned for much more to come.

ABOUT BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

Black Smoke Trigger are led by Wallace (creator of the hugely successful Guitar Mastery Method) whose insane talent provides everything from delicate melodic motifs to face-melting shred solos and stadium-conquering riffs. They are fronted by incendiary vocalist Baldrick, whose impressive vocal abilities provide that indefinable, timeless rock n roll soul to the Black Smoke Trigger sound. Bassist Dan Fulton, and drummer Josh Te Maro round out the line-up, joining forces to create a powerhouse rhythmic backbone and one of the most bombastic and inventive rhythm sections of recent years.

With a rapidly growing fanbase, millions of streams, a reputation for raucous live shows and irrepressibly fearless approach to their craft, Black Smoke Trigger are poised to be the biggest and most thrilling entity to come from New Zealand since the Lord of The Rings movies. Just with more rock n roll and less hobbits.