85. Massive Wagons - "Triggered"

Even though we are in the top hundred, there are a number of entries that I expected to be ordering significantly higher than I have. This is one of them. Massive Wagons are one of the forerunners in the New Wave of British Classic Rock. Live they are phenomenal, a kaleidoscope of all that is great and escapist about stadium rock. Their last release “House of Noise” was a most excellent collision of juvenile humour and self-deprecation. It reminded me about the utter joyfulness of no-nonsense, back-to-the-walls rock n’ roll and made it to number seventeen in my 2020 list. 

“Triggered” see’s them attempt to add a level of maturity to their sound and the results are to be honest mixed. There are enough nuggets of genius to give it a solid 85 out of 616 placing, BUT the crucial point is that it fails to have the memorable numbers that its predecessor had. Yes A.S.S.H.O.L.E. and Fuck the Haters will be live favourites for years to come, but as the album reached its crescendo it all sort of became predictable and well, a little boring (words I thought I would never use to describe Massive Wagons). Not a dud by any means, but after what went before I think my expectations were high.