Here Comes Trouble

Y'know, I'm awfully surprised that no one has reviewed this yet on Metal Archives. It's not say a small independent release, in fact it was released on major label CBS Records way back in March of 1990, but maybe because it's "musical style" might be not so deserving to be here, but more because where two of it's members actually came from. You see before Scatterbrain, members Tommy Christ on vocals & Glen Cummings on guitar, were in a late 80's band called Ludichrist. While Ludichrist only released two albums, they were a powerful mix of Hardcore and Thrash Metal (also known as Crossover), very in tune with say Suicidal Tendencies or Carnivore, and built up a small following within the scene. But once the group disbanded, Christ & Cummings wanted to continue, but this time with a little more commercial-vibe of the times. And that result was "Here Comes Trouble".

While listening to the two bands efforts, they both "sound" like the same guys, but the content couldn't be more different. Gone was the aggression and anger of the previous band, replaced with more whimsy and humor, very in vein with say Red Hot Chili Peppers and 90's darlings Faith No More. The result is a band more comfortable in it's new skin. While you will find thrashy riffs within tracks like "Mr. Johnson And The Juice Crew", "I'm With Stupid", and the title track, it's Tommy's cleaner and more joke-like singing style that lighten up the mood. While I'm sure alot of Ludichrist fans cried foul, there was no doubt the move bought success to the new Scatterbrain, especially to the world of MTV. Because they did have what most considered "novelty" tracks too, be it the cover of Cheech And Chong's "Earache My Eye" or their Metal version of Beethoven's "Sonata #3" (which was a Classical staple of Glen's throughout Ludichrist's and Scatterbrain's albums), but the videos for "Down With The Ship (Slight Return)" (with it's SIXTEEN different hit song snipits within it's two and a half minute runtime!) & the hilarious "Don't Call Me Dude" were perfectly made for the channel, fun and non-threatening, they both received major airplay even outside of the Headbangers Ball. While the change seemed like a future for the new band, unfortunately it was already 1990, and by their second album "Scamboogery" came out a year later, with it's "less as catchy than the first's" songs, Grunge was already underway to eliminate bands like this, and Scatterbrain was history. But what they left behind with "Here Comes Trouble" should be revisited, maybe even more so today. Excellent production, well played instruments (yeah, that funky bass is right up in front pickin' away), and heavy guitars with lighter material that will earworm right back into your brain like it did thirty years ago. Not as groundbreaking like the bands that may have inspired it, Scatterbrain's "Here Comes Trouble" is a fun reminder of what Metal ALSO could be, Dude!