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 track here, and watch the music video below.
"Perfect Torture really developed in the studio, we experimented a lot with producer Nick Raskulinecz to get the vibe right and I think we nailed it. The raw acoustic intro 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 the 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 labour 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.
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 churning out certified 10/10, arena ready rock bangers, Black Smoke Trigger are also quickly garnering a reputation for creating jaw-dropping and often death-defying music videos.
“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”, where the video 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 highlights 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, before heading over to Europe for some select dates in the UK, France, and the Netherlands supporting the legendary Bruce Dickinson.
For full dates and tickets head to 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.
(Photo - Christine Solomon)
