Walter Trout

Battle Scars
Provogue

Nothing provokes a storyteller more than his own life experiences, and when you face imminent death on your doorstep numerous times, there is a lot of thoughts to be spoken. Walter Trout has done just that. Facing certain death several times over the previous year, Trout stood face to face with the grim reaper and withstood everything he had to endure — and came out still breathing. On his latest release, Battle Scars, Trout relates the pangs and woes that he was dealt with. It’s not all pretty as you can imagine, but here he is to tell us about it in a very emotional manner.

He still delivers that stinging guitar sound that you’d expect. He certainly has not lost any of that tasteful bite. On “Cold, Cold Ground” he slings out some vicious licks while telling about how the angels came calling for him, but he was not ready to go, just as he’s not ready for the “Cold, Cold Ground.” The only thing he pleads for is to “Please Take Me Home,” where he can feel the security of his family and not have to face another long night laying in a hospital bed because “Tomorrow Seems So Far Away.” Throughout the album he tells about how he may have made wrong choices in life, but in the song “Gonna Live Again” he states that he now has a new chance and he’s going to make improvements and live his life again.

Battle Scars is a brutally honest and brave release from a man who has endured the harshest of experiences. The lyrics can be painful and heartbreaking at times, but the content of the music is all Trout at his very best. Welcome back to a musician who seemed so lost to us such a short time ago.

Total Time: 58:09

Almost Gone / Omaha Prelude / Omaha / Tomorrow Seems So Far Away / Please Take Me Home / Playin’ Hideaway / Haunted By The Night / Fly Away / Move On / My Ship Came In / Cold, Cold Ground / Gonna Live Again