POP MUSIC REVIEW : Shotgun Messiah Shows Sonic Power at Troubadour

The finer points of industrial post-punk metal can be difficult to discern at a triple-digit decibel level. But if the sonic crunch of Shotgun Messiah’s performance on Monday at the Troubadour overwhelmed some of the minor details, the band at least demonstrated enough musical power to make things work as a whole.

So what if Tim Skold’s lyrics of urban despair were a blurred roar, more adrenaline than message? Or that the complex special effects of the Swedish-American quintet’s current “Violent New Breed” album rarely emerged? There was always the melodic hard-rock riffing of lead guitarist Harry Cody to keep the music in focus.

That sound was best demonstrated under an endless hail of strobe lights and flying blond hair during the song “Revolution,” mixing hard-rock clarity with industrial-strength aggression. It represents only the latest stage of a band that has gone through several phases and personnel changes since releasing its first album as a glam-metal act in 1989.

At the Troubadour, a sameness hurt a few of the more dissonant numbers. But bandleaders Cody and Skold never allowed the energy level to fade during the hourlong set, choosing instead to assert themselves in a style and volume that fit them well.