2021's Don't You Feel Amazing? saw Trashboat venture into a thrilling and poignant blend of metalcore and hardcore punk. Heaven Can Wait demonstrates Trashboat in a more personal and stronger musical position, striking nearly perfect harmony between genres without straying from their musical origins.
It seems like chaos has taken over the world in which we currently live. The world is unfortunately plagued by various forms of violence, deep-seated hatred, and an overwhelming fear of the unfamiliar and the incomprehensible. This suffering manifests within our subconscious minds and the tangible reality of our everyday lives. Such enduring impacts of deep emotional pain result in a persistent sense of sorrow, grief, and powerlessness stemming from the consequences of violence and hatred. Everything seems overwhelming, leaving us desiring to change the ugly things in our world but unsure of how to start.

This is where the world of Trashboat's latest release, Heaven Can Wait, begins. An emotionally knotted record wrapped around teeth-gritting agitation, Heaven Can Wait is at one turn deeply contemplative and at times panicked and dejected. Such emotions have created unfiltered rage for the injustice that remains trapped and clinging to each experience that adorns their latest creation. For a band such as Trashboat, such aggravated statements are not surprising. Since 2021's Don't You Feel Amazing?, Trashboat's creative nature lives off such self-expression, and on Heaven Can Wait, Trashboat continues to expose these warring emotions through a daring, new musical experience.
The cinematic intro, "Watching Heaven," opens up the band's new chapter of unvarnished honesty before elegantly segueing into the first track, "Burn." Continuing to display the evolved and bold soundscapes that introduced themselves on Don't You Feel Amazing?, shows that Trashboat is taking their time to refine their own identity of chaotic madness while also being brave enough to experiment within the already uncharted waters of their sound. A deeply atmospheric take on their nodulous pop-punk edge that straddles comfortably within the asperous realm of post-hardcore, their evolution continues to bravely reexplore everything we have come to know and expect about the band's previous endeavors and successfully comes out swinging with a fractious and darkly twisted redefined version of their sound.
"Be Someone," featuring vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail, and "Filthy RIGHTEOUS," featuring vocalist Kenta Toie of Crossfaith, are the bread and butter of this record, further extending their game-changing progression that continues to unravel on Heaven Can Wait. Such guest appearances also help to further their new vision for this endeavor, providing a wonderful counterpoint to the sharp edges and harmonies found in both experiences.
Other notable tracks on the album include "Are You Ready Now" and "Better Than Yesterday." These tracks have a catchy, melodic electronic structure that complements a gritty post-hardcore exterior. Standout tracks like "Break You" and "The Drip" elevate their sound to greater heights. Through the amalgamation of agitated 90s electro-punk and contemporary nu-wave soundscapes, vocalist Tobi Duncan displays an impressive vocal range. His layered vocals transition seamlessly between gritty cleans and augmented screams, adding an extra dimension and spice to tracks like these.
While Trashboat has shown a significantly more focused and grounded approach to Heaven Can Wait, such a well-heeled attempt at finding their own musical edge ends with "Delusions of Grandeur" and lilting experience, "Lazy." A gorgeous impression of audile self-assurance, Trashboat ends a powerfully revitalized and nearly balanced record that breathes life into the band's sound and concludes the record with a stunning display of confident musicality.
Heaven Can Wait is a deeply emotive experience that seeks to challenge the audio vision of what Trashboat has touted in previous efforts. It's an audio journey that firmly puts a stamp on the new era, blending gnarled pop-punk roots, peppered with melodically stylized hardcore-punk, and accents of edgy rap-style verse. While the band still shows they are in the process of ironing out the kinks in their new style, Heaven Can Wait effectively establishes a strong sense of cohesiveness in their approach. This is a notable improvement from their previous record, Don't You Feel Amazing?, which was somewhat lacking in consistency. Heaven Can Wait takes the best of punk, hardcore, electronica, and metal, and recreates a new beginning for the band that can only get better with each release.
Comments