Album Review: Bacon Wagon - Trauma Cake
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I must confess that the only reason I picked this album to review, was because of the name of the band. It instantly got me intrigued by what could possibly be lurking beneath such a wonderful name as Bacon Wagon. I had no idea who they were, or what sort of music I was about to be exposed to, but I’m glad that I did.
For a band who have been in existence since 2003 when brothers Marcus and Kristoffer Kinberg joined forces, 2025 will finally see the release of their first full length album. Yes, they’ve dabbled with a few EP’s and other bands since their inception, but with drummer Peter Johanssen back on drums, they started writing songs and viola, here is “Trauma Cake”.
There are ten songs in total beginning with “Tar Salad” and you can feel the piercing green rays from the album cover looking at you when the trio start their noisy attack on your senses. The bass from Kristoffer thunders along, complimenting the drum sound perfectly as they create a bit of a racket. That aural assault continues with “A Vood… That Actually Works” which has an exciting rhythm and riff combo, that feels punchy and vibrant, almost as if they are trying to blow up their amps.
They have crafted songs that are perfect for the noise rock crowd and “Lady Cramps” sees the trio at a slightly slower pace, yet the filthy, snarling beast that lies beneath rears up its ugly head throughout. The tracks sizzle and crackle like sausages on a hot BBQ, with “Hyena” the next track to test your eardrums. It’s those little changes of pace and tempo that intrigue me most because you never know when it’s going to pop like a champagne cork, but I enjoy the simmering bass line that underpins this track.
They ask you to run the “Gauntlet” next, with a fast and frenetic start to the song. It’s a cacophony of noise that leads into another blistering bass section, before the guitar and vocals from Marcus stretch them further. Feedback greets you at the beginning of “Honey! (I’m Home)” which has that eerie and scary feel to the song, the riff sounds big and haunting through a clever use of sound. It stays focused and doesn’t deviate much from that narrative and is probably my favourite track on the album.
The battering shows no sign of slowing up on “Love Blister” as their abrasive side comes out once again and the solo is a bit of Swedish fury that fizzes along majestically. “I-Beam” is like a volcano exploding inside your speakers, its bold, brash and exciting with that destructive side that feels like a familiar trademark of the band.
There’s no rest bite from their stinging delivery, with penultimate song “Brown Gravy”. It’s a short jabbing number that stings each time the notes are downplayed, or drums are smashed, and they pour more petrol on the fire to ignite the flames with the excellent “Bear of a Man”. After listening to this a few times, my only hope is that we don’t have to wait another 20+ years for the next album to be released.
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