Belgian rock heavyweights Triggerfinger have announced their sixth studio album Tarmac, due for release on 18 September, alongside the arrival of a new single, ‘Through The Beam’, a track that signals both a return to form and a subtle recalibration of their already distinctive sound.
After more than two decades at the forefront of European rock, the trio, fronted by Ruben Block and drummer-vocalist Mario Goossens, and joined on stage by acclaimed guitarist Geoffrey Burton, return with renewed intent. Known for their explosive live reputation and stripped-back but muscular rock approach, Triggerfinger have long occupied a unique space in European guitar music, equally comfortable in gritty clubs and on major festival stages.
Their new single, ‘Through The Beam’, offers a striking first glimpse into Tarmac’s sonic direction. Built on choppy, propulsive rhythms and fuzz-heavy guitar lines, the track leans into a broader palette than earlier material. Pulsing synth bass textures and tight, punchy drumming create a restless forward motion, while Block’s vocal delivery drifts above it with a reflective, almost detached melancholy. The result is a blend of classic rock energy and more contemporary alt-pop sensibilities, catchy but slightly off-centre in a way that rewards repeat listens.
Behind the board, the band have assembled a formidable production team. The album was produced by Mitchell Froomalongside Block and Goossens, mixed by celebrated engineer Tchad Blake, and mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios in London. The involvement of such long-standing studio heavyweights hints at a record that balances raw performance with carefully sculpted sonic detail.
Lyrically, ‘Through The Beam’ reflects on modern overstimulation and the paradox of desire in an age of constant distraction. Block describes a world saturated with “material and sensory temptations,” where recognising existing beauty can require more effort than chasing the next novelty. Yet he frames that chase itself as a kind of pleasure, an ambivalent but very human impulse that runs through the track’s tone and delivery.
The single follows a period of renewed activity for the band, including a 25-date return to the international live circuit that saw them reconnect with audiences across Europe. Many shows sold out, reinforcing the enduring appeal of a group whose reputation was built as much on visceral live intensity as on studio recordings.
Triggerfinger’s recent history has been shaped by both pause and upheaval. After completing touring for 2019’s Colossus, the band stepped back from the road, initially planning a break that was later extended by the global pandemic and the departure of longtime bassist Monsieur Paul. Despite the hiatus, the core creative partnership of Block and Goossens remained active, laying the groundwork for what would become Tarmac.
Now, with momentum rebuilt, the band are positioning this new era as something close to a reinvention. The upcoming record is framed not as a nostalgic return, but as a continuation sharpened by distance, an attempt to recapture the urgency that first defined them, while widening the edges of their sound.
Released via Sony Music and Hufter, Tarmac arrives on 18 September, with ‘Through The Beam’ serving as its first dispatch ahead of a summer of festival appearances and an extensive European tour beginning in October.
If the single is any indication, Triggerfinger are not simply revisiting their past, they are reworking its foundations, trading in familiar grit while allowing new textures, influences and instincts to cut through the mix.
Listen below:
