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USS Flasher (SS-249) was a Gato-class submarine which served in the Pacific during World War II. She received three Presidential Unit Citations and six battle stars, and sank 21 ships for a total of 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping.She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flasher. Her keel was laid down 20 June 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 20 June 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. W. A. Saunders) and commissioned 25 September 1943, Lieutenant Commander Reuben T. Whitaker (Class of 1934) in command.// First and second war patrols, January – May 1944Flasher arrived at Pearl Harbor from New London 15 December 1943 to prepare for her first war patrol, for which she sailed 6 January 1944. Bound for her patrol area off Mindoro, she sank her first target 18 January, sending a 2,900-ton former gunboat to the bottom. Adding to what would be the greatest total of enemy tonnage credited to an American submarine in World War II, she sank a freighter off Manila 5 February, and sank two cargo ships of the same convoy on 14 February. Flasher arrived at Fremantle, Australia 29 February to refit. The 2 vessels sunk 14 February 1944 were the Minryo Maru and the Hokuan Maru. See . (The Hokuan Maru probably rammed and sunk the Grayling 9 September 1943.)Action-bound once more, the submarine departed Fremantle 4 April 1944 for the coast of French Indochina on her second war patrol. On 29 April she contacted the river gunboat Tahure guarding a freighter off the Hon Doi Islands, and sank both. After sinking a large cargo ship in the Sulu Sea 3 May, Flasher shaped course for Fremantle, arriving 28 May for refit until 19 June. Third and fourth war patrols, June – October 1944Flasher made her third war patrol in the South China Sea, where on 28 June 1944 she contacted a heavily escorted convoy of 13 ships. She made a cautious approach, undeterred by the escort, and shortly after midnight 29 June, broke into the convoy to sink a freighter and badly damage a large passenger cargo ship. Her next victim was a freighter, sunk 7 July. Twelve days later, Flasher sighted cruiser Oi escorted by a destroyer. Two attacks, each followed by a heavy depth charge retaliation from the destroyer, sufficed to sink the cruiser, a fact confirmed several hours later when a periscope observation revealed only the destroyer in sight. Seven days later, she sank another important target, a merchant tanker, and the same day damaged another tanker later sunk by one of her sisters. With all her torpedoes gone, Flasher put back for Fremantle, where she replenished and refitted between 7 August and 30 August.During her fourth war patrol, in the Philippines, Flasher headed a coordinated attack group which included two other submarines, Hawkbill and Becuna. Although she was on lifeguard station during the air attacks preliminary to the invasion of the Philippines during part of this patrol, Flasher sank three ships, a former light cruiser on 18 September, a transport on 27 September, and a cargo ship on 4 October. She returned to Fremantle 20 October. Fifth and sixth war patrols, November 1944 – April 1945Heading the same attack group, Flasher now commanded by Lieutenant Commander G. W. Grider, sailed on her fifth war patrol 15 November 1944, bound for Camranh Bay. On 4 December one of her companions reported a tanker convoy, and Flasher set a converging course. As she made her approach in a heavy downpour, a destroyer suddenly loomed up before her, and Flasher launched her first spread of torpedoes at this escort. The destroyer was stopped by two hits, and began listing and smoking heavily. Flasher got a spread of torpedoes away at a tanker before she was forced deep by a second destroyer, which dropped 16 depth charges. Rising to periscope depth, Flasher located the tanker burning and covered by yet a third destroyer. Speedily reloading, she prepared to sink the destroyer and finish off the tanker, and though almost blinded by rainsqualls, she did so with a salvo of four torpedoes, two of which hit the destroyer, and two of which passed beneath her, as planned, to hit the tanker. Once more, counter-attack forced Flasher down, and when she surfaced she found no trace of the two damaged destroyers. The tanker, blazing away, was still guarded by three escorts until abandoned at sunset, when Flasher sank her with one torpedo. The two destroyers, both found after the war to have been sunk, were Kishinami and Iwanami (However, the destroyer Iwanami did not exist. Flasher's war patrol reported that her count of destroyers may have been inaccurate, but this seems to have been ignored, and it is likely that "Flasher" actually finished off previously crippled Kishinami and did not hit any other destroyer.Flasher contacted another well-guarded tanker convoy on the morning of 21 December 1944, and she began a long chase, getting into position to attack from the unguarded shoreward side. In rapid succession, Flasher attacked and sank three of the tankers, receiving no counter-attack since the enemy apparently believed he had stumbled into a minefield. One of these tankers was the largest Flasher sank during the war. The other two tankers had displacements similar to each other, were tied for third largest.Refitting at Fremantle once more between 2 January and 29 January 1945, Flasher made her sixth war patrol on the coast of Indochina. Contacts were few, but on 21 February she sank a sea truck by surface gunfire, and 4 days later sank a cargo ship with torpedoes. She completed her patrol upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor 3 April 1945, and sailed a few days later for a West Coast overhaul. Post-warBound for Guam on a seventh war patrol at the close of the war, Flasher was ordered back to New London, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 16 March 1946, attached to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 1 June 1959 the Flasher was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. She was sold for scrap on 1 June 1963. Her conning tower was removed and placed on display as a memorial at the entrance to Nautilus Park, a Navy housing area in Groton, Connecticut. It was then moved to the intersection of Thames St. and Bridge St. where it is the centerpiece of the World War II memorial that honors the 52 U.S. submarines and their valiant crews lost during the war. Its upkeep was originally the responsibility of the Submarine Veterans of WWII organization and was then transferred into the willing (and usually younger) hands of the U. S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. AwardsFlasher received the Presidential Unit Citation for her brilliantly successful third, fourth, and fifth war patrols. For her six war patrols, each designated "Successful", she received six battle stars. References^ a b c d e f g Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 271–273. ISBN 0-313-26202-0. ^ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261^ a b c d e f g

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event that occurs between January and February at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Field, Angeles City, Pampanga. It features multicolored hot air balloons with more than a hundred balloon pilots from around the world. This three day hot air balloon event is the biggest aviation sports event in the country.The festival also features a number of events in skydiving, flag jumps, micro light and rocketry demonstrations, small plane fly-bys and fly-ins, remote-control airplane and helicopter flying exhibitions, freestyle aerobatics, precision maneuvers, light airplane balloon bursting, ultra-light flying formation and bomb dropping, kite-making and choreographed kite-flying, hi-start launch gliding, pylon racing, banner towing, aero-modeling symposium and races between ultra lights and motorcycles. An estimated 60,000 visitors locally and from around the world come in to see this event.// History 1994/1995In 1994, three years after the devastating effects of the G.Mount Pinatubo eruption, Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor together with Korean businessman and hot-air balloon pilot, Mr. Sung Kee Paik, and British Airways General Manager, Mr. John Emery, engineered the Philippine International hot air balloon festival to help jumpstart the local economy and spirit of the Central Luzon region with the commitment of developing hot air ballooning as an aviation sport in the country and making the Philippines one of the leading sports aviation and travel destinations in the Asia Pacific region. The 1994 event originally organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Hot Air Balloon Club, and British Airways initially began with 21 balloon pilots from 10 countries and one entry from the Philippines. The success of the festival in 1994 brought about an increase in the number of participants in 1995 to 27 balloons including a basketless one-man balloon and two entries from the Philippines. The 1995 festival also saw the introduction of ultra light planes to the events. 1996-1998By 1996 responsibility of the event was transferred from the Department of Tourism to Air Ads, Inc. under the watchful eyes of Captain Joy Roa who is also an avid licensed balloon pilot. Between 1996 and 1998, the growing popularity of the festival was expanded to include other aero-sports activities such as sky diving, paragliding, motorized hang gliding, remote controlled model aircraft (aero modelers), and kite flying. Aerobatic stunts and precision maneuvers courtesy of the Blue Diamonds and later the Red Aces of the Philippine Air Force became a regular attraction of the festival. 1999-2003Financial difficulties in 1999 led to the cancellation of the festival, but saw a resurgence in 2000 with 12 balloons and 18 light planes from Thailand, Japan and Singapore, all participating in an air rally which has become a regular component of the festivities. 2003 saw a change in the traditional ballooning format. Specially designed balloons in the shape of a flying newspaper from Korea and a large dog from Japan made their debut over the Pampanga skyline. Balloon participation from Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Holland, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands drew crowds from around the world. 2004-PresentCurrently, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival continues to be a popular international sports aviation event. The 2006 festival featured 30 multicolored hot air balloons and more than a hundred balloon pilots from Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. It also drew an approximated 60,000 visitors to the event. External links12th PIHABF Home Page, Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga, PhilippinesPhilippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 Schedulegmanews.tv/video, 1st Pinoy-made hot-air ballon shown off in Pampanga - 01/29/2008 (in Filipino) References^ a b Manila Times. Hot Air Balloon Fiesta soars at Clark. Retrieved on February 7, 2007.

The Ford Verve concepts are a series of subcompact car concepts from Ford Motor Company. Together, they are expected to form the basis of the replacement for the current Ford Fiesta and help Ford meet market demands for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. The production versions will be sold in North America, Europe, and Asia. The first concept debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.Verve comes in both four- and three-door body styles. The four-door is the basis for the production vehicle that will be sold in North America beginning in 2010. The European three-door is being shown to test market reaction to the body style – as a possible additional small car for the North American market.Viewed from the front, the vehicle features:Ford Verve SMPR: A bold, three-bar graphic with a Ford blue oval in the upper grille opening and downsized the lower, inverted trapezoidal grille. Pronounced, rearward-stretching headlamps, giving the face of the Ford Verve concept a friendly, open and inviting personality. A toned and athletic hood sculpture that’s not overtly muscular. Prominent headlamps that feature two projector beams and a light-emitting diode (LED) array. Two unique LED side markers flank the front fascia. Specially designed 18-inch, 12-spoke two-piece alloy wheels that lend even more drama to the car.From the side view,The profile is emphasized by the pillar-less side window shape, mirroring the body’s curving upper contour line. This extends rearward from the angular A-pillar to marry the semi-high-mounted, LED tail lamps sculpted to become part of the fullness of the body shape.These elements blend cohesively together and support the panoramic glass roof. Subtle chrome bars accent the door handles. Brushed aluminum accents the lower grille surround, the rear number plate surround, and the lower edge of the front fog lamps. Low-profile tires feature a sidewall stripe that complements the rich Rouge Red body color.source: Ford Verce Concept SMPR// First Verve ConceptThe Verve continues Ford's Kinetic Design family styling theme, first seen on the Ford S-MAX.Martin Smith, executive director of design for Ford of Europe, described the Verve as "a chic, modern and individualistic statement for a sophisticated, fashion-aware generation." The concept was created by a team of designers from Ford studios in Dunton, England, and Cologne, Germany.Occupants are cocooned in a cabin trimmed in different hues of glove leather, with an array of modern multimedia conveniences at their fingertips.The slick three-door hatchback features a panoramic glass roof, pillarless side glass, LED headlamps, high-mounted LED taillamps, integrated tailgate spoiler and dark-chrome lower diffuser with integrated center exhaust outlet.The car rides on 18-inch low-profile tyres mounted on two-piece, 12-spoke alloy wheels. Second Verve ConceptOn November 19, 2007, Ford unveiled its second Verve concept. This second version took the form of a four-door notchback and was styled similarly to the Frankfurt version of the car. It was finished in frosted grape. Third Verve ConceptAn further four-door Verve concept car for North America was revealed at the North American International Auto Show in January 2008. It was finished in Rouge Red, and unique to this version, featured a modified front fascia. The most notable changes were in a deeper upper grille, with Ford of North America's trademark 'three-bar' graphic, and a downsized lower inverted trapezoidal grille.It was confirmed in the press release that a model based on this concept will launch in North America in 2010. References^ Channel 4: Frankfurt preview: Goodbye Fiesta, hello Verve?^ The Star: Ford revs up new small car prototype Verve^ Automotive News Europe: Ford Verve Concept for Frankfurt^ FORD VERVE CONCEPT - Ford Motor Company - digital snippets^ "FORD VERVE CONCEPT HINTS AT FORD’S FUTURE SMALL-CAR DESIGN VISION". http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=26614. Retrieved 2008-01-13. ^ Forum at FordEurope.net^ Media.Ford.Com - Ford Reveals Small-Car Vision for North America - 13 Jan. 2008^ Ford Auto Shows - Verve Concept: Ford’s New Vision for Small Cars - 13 Jan. 2008 External linksVerve Concept: Social Media Press Release From Digital Snippets - 08 Jan 2008Verve Concept:

A light-emitting diode (LED) (pronounced /ˌɛl.iːˈdiː/, or just /lɛd/) is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices, and are increasingly used for lighting. Introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962, early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness.The LED is based on the semiconductor diode. When a diode is forward biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine with holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. An LED is usually small in area (less than 1 mm2), and integrated optical components are used to shape its radiation pattern and assist in reflection.LEDs present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliance. However, they are relatively expensive and require more precise current and heat management than traditional light sources. Current LED products for general lighting are more expensive to buy than fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.They also enjoy use in applications as diverse as replacements for traditional light sources in automotive lighting (particularly indicators) and in traffic signals. The compact size of LEDs has allowed new text and video displays and sensors to be developed, while their high switching rates are useful in advanced communications technology.// History Discoveries and early devicesElectroluminescence was discovered in 1907 by the British experimenter H. J. Round of Marconi Labs, using a crystal of silicon carbide and a cat's-whisker detector. Russian Oleg Vladimirovich Losev independently reported on the creation of a LED in 1927. His research was distributed in Russian, German and British scientific journals, but no practical use was made of the discovery for several decades. Rubin Braunstein of the Radio Corporation of America reported on infrared emission from gallium arsenide (GaAs) and other semiconductor alloys in 1955. Braunstein observed infrared emission generated by simple diode structures using gallium antimonide (GaSb), GaAs, indium phosphide (InP), and silicon-germanium (SiGe) alloys at room temperature and at 77 kelvin.In 1961, experimenters Robert Biard and Gary Pittman working at Texas Instruments, found that GaAs emitted infrared radiation when electric current was applied and received the patent for the infrared LED.The first practical visible-spectrum (red) LED was developed in 1962 by Nick Holonyak Jr., while working at General Electric Company. Holonyak is seen as the "father of the light-emitting diode". M. George Craford, a former graduate student of Holonyak, invented the first yellow LED and improved the brightness of red and red-orange LEDs by a factor of ten in 1972. In 1976, T.P. Pearsall created the first high-brightness, high efficiency LEDs for optical fiber telecommunications by inventing new semiconductor materials specifically adapted to optical fiber transmission wavelengths.Up to 1968 visible and infrared LEDs were extremely costly, on the order of US $200 per unit, and so had little practical application. The Monsanto Company was the first organization to mass-produce visible LEDs, using gallium arsenide phosphide in 1968 to produce red LEDs suitable for indicators. Hewlett Packard (HP) introduced LEDs in 1968, initially using GaAsP supplied by Monsanto. The technology proved to have major applications for alphanumeric displays and was integrated into HP's early handheld calculators. Practical useThe first commercial LEDs were commonly used as replacements for incandescent indicators, and in seven-segment displays, first in expensive equipment such as laboratory and electronics test equipment, then later in such appliances as TVs, radios, telephones, calculators, and even watches (see list of signal applications). These red LEDs were bright enough only for use as indicators, as the light output was not enough to illuminate an area. Later, other colors became widely available and also appeared in appliances and equipment. As the LED materials technology became more advanced, the light output was increased, while maintaining the efficiency and the reliability to an acceptable level. The invention and development of the high power white light LED led to use for illumination (see list of illumination applications). Most LEDs were made in the very common 5 mm T1¾ and 3 mm T1 packages, but with increasing power output, it has become increasingly necessary to shed excess heat in order to maintain reliability, so more complex packages have been adapted for efficient heat dissipation. Packages for state-of-the-art high power LEDs bear little resemblance to early LEDs. Continuing developmentThe first high-brightness blue LED was demonstrated by Shuji Nakamura of Nichia Corporation and was based on InGaN borrowing on critical developments in GaN nucleation on sapphire substrates and the demonstration of p-type doping of GaN which were developed by Isamu Akasaki and H. Amano in Nagoya. In 1995, Alberto Barbieri at the Cardiff University Laboratory (GB) investigated the efficiency and reliability of high-brightness LEDs and demonstrated a very impressive result by using a transparent contact made of indium tin oxide (ITO) on (AlGaInP/GaAs) LED. The existence of blue LEDs and high efficiency LEDs quickly led to the development of the first white LED, which employed a Y3Al5O12:Ce, or "YAG", phosphor coating to mix yellow (down-converted) light with blue to produce light that appears white. Nakamura was awarded the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize for his invention.The development of LED technology has caused their efficiency and light output to increase exponentially, with a doubling occurring about every 36 months since the 1960s, in a way similar to Moore's law. The advances are generally attributed to the parallel development of other semiconductor technologies and advances in optics and material science. This trend is normally called Haitz's Law after Dr. Roland Haitz. In February 2008, Bilkent university in Turkey reported 300 lumens of visible light per watt luminous efficacy (not per electrical watt) and warm light by using nanocrystals .In January 2009, researchers from Cambridge University reported a process for growing gallium nitride (GaN) LEDs on silicon. Production costs could be reduced by 90% using six-inch silicon wafers instead of two-inch sapphire wafers. The team was led by Colin Humphreys. Technology PhysicsLike a normal diode, the LED consists of a chip of semiconducting material impregnated, or doped, with impurities to create a p-n junction. As in other diodes, current flows easily from the p-side, or anode, to the n-side, or cathode, but not in the reverse direction. Charge-carriers—electrons and holes—flow into the junction from electrodes with different voltages. When an electron meets a hole, it falls into a lower energy level, and releases energy in the form of a photon.The wavelength of the light emitted, and therefore its color, depends on the band gap energy of the materials forming the p-n junction. In silicon or germanium diodes, the electrons and holes recombine by a non-radiative transition which produces no optical emission, because these are indirect band gap materials. The materials used for the LED have a direct band gap with energies corresponding to near-infrared, visible or near-ultraviolet light.LED development began with infrared and red devices made with gallium arsenide. Advances in materials science have made possible the production of devices with ever-shorter wavelengths, producing light in a variety of colors.LEDs are usually built on an n-type substrate, with an electrode attached to the p-type layer deposited on its surface. P-type substrates, while less common, occur as well. Many commercial LEDs, especially GaN/InGaN, also use sapphire substrate.Most materials used for LED production have very high refractive indices. This means that much light will be reflected back in to the material at the material/air surface interface. Therefore Light extraction

Trouble is an American doom metal band noted as one of the pioneers of their genre, alongside bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. The band created a distinct style taking influences of the British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and psychedelic rock of the 1970s. A critically acclaimed group, their first two albums, Psalm 9 and The Skull are cited as landmarks of doom metal, and their early 1990s releases on Def American would take a more stoner metal oriented direction. After six studio albums and tours throughout the U.S. and Europe, Trouble disbanded in 1996, but reformed six years later to release its seventh studio album on Escapi Music.The nucleus of the band have been vocalist Eric Wagner (replaced as of late by Kory Clarke), guitarists Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin, and drummer Jeff Olson. The band is also noted for the spiritual nature of their early lyrics; their first record label, Metal Blade Records, marketed the band as "White Metal" (in contrast to the rising black metal movement) in the 1980s.// Biography Formation and Metal Blade years (1979-1988)Trouble was formed in 1979 by vocalist Eric Wagner, guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell, bassist Ian Brown (not to be confused with lead singer of English band The Stone Roses; replaced by Sean McAllister in 1983), and drummer Jeff Olson. Drawing from Black Sabbath for inspiration (with occasional nods to the psychedelic sounds of the late 1960s), the band used gloomy down-tuned riffs and spiritual, often openly Bible-inspired lyrics, which led Metal Blade to market the band as "white metal" as opposed to black metal. "I was brought up Catholic", vocalist and primary lyric writer Wagner explains in the liner notes of Psalm 9 re-issue (2006), "but you have to remember, back in the early 1980s, all the metal was kind of satanic, and I did not get into that vibe." Wagner has implied that Metal Blade actually came up with the term in the first place, which the band rejected: "I think it was more like Metal Blade trying to be cute or something, with everything being called black metal, why not call us white metal, which is a bunch of crap."The band toured throughout the Midwest during the early 1980s before signing with Metal Blade Records and releasing their eponymous debut (later referred to as Psalm 9) in 1984. The Skull followed in 1985 and reflected singer Wagner's struggles with substance abuse as well as growing turmoil within the group. This led to the replacement of bassist McAllister with Ron Holzner. Drummer Jeff Olson also departed. Reports suggested that Olson had left the band to become a preacher, but he had actually decided to pursue studies at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Dennis Lesh was drafted as his replacement for 1987's Run to the Light. In comparison to earlier recordings, the critiques thought Run to the Light was "disappointing". Ted Kirkpatrick played drums during the Run to the Light tour before he went to form his own band, Tourniquet in 1989. Rise to popularity and hiatus (1989-2001)A three year hiatus occurred before the band was snapped up by Rick Rubin's Def American Records for whom they recorded a second self-titled album (Trouble) in 1990 with Rubin producing. More experimental than previous efforts, the album (featuring new drummer Barry Stern, formerly of Zoetrope) expanded upon the group's tentative psychedelic notions within its traditional use of power chords.The group embarked on a year-long tour before returning to the studio. In 1992 Manic Frustration was released, delving into Beatlesque psychedelia and featuring some of Trouble's most aggressive, energetic performances ever. But after the album failed to connect with a wider audience, the band was ultimately dropped by their record company, which was experiencing financial problems of their own.The band issued Plastic Green Head through the Music for Nations label in 1995. But despite the return of founding drummer Olson, the album's impact was noticeably dulled by what the band would later admit to be "weariness." Vocalist Eric Wagner quit the band soon after, going on to form Lid. Reunion and Simple Mind Condition (2002-2007)Even though Trouble had gone on an extended hiatus after Wagner's departure, rumors of an eventual re-formation persisted. On January 26, 2002, Wagner, Franklin, Wartell, Holzner and Olson reunited on stage to perform a short set in Chicago. Since that time, the band has played individual gigs throughout the Chicago area and headlined metal festivals in Europe and the U.S. while working on a new album. A concert in Stockholm, Sweden in 2005 produced the live DVD Trouble - Live in Stockholm.In February 2004, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters released a tribute album that paid homage to his metal roots. Entitled Probot, the disc featured various vocalists, including Eric Wagner, who sang on the track "My Tortured Soul". In the album's liner notes, Grohl wrote that buying Psalm 9 was like buying Sgt. Peppers.Holzner left the band soon after, to be replaced by Chuck Robinson, who played on the band's newest studio album, Simple Mind Condition, which was released in Europe on April 3, 2007 by Escapi Music. The band toured internationally in support of its release, but were not able to secure a U.S. release date for the album until over two years later. An unplugged album was later released through the band's website and, more recently, Escapi Music. New singer and next album (2008-present)In May, 2008, it was announced that Eric Wagner has left the band and had been replaced by Kory Clarke of Warrior Soul.. Jeff Olson also announced his departure from the band in July of 2008 to continue with his own band, Retro Grave. Olson's last show with Trouble was, coincidentally, at a rock club called, "The End" in Memphis, Tenn. Olson was replaced by Wet Animal's Mark Lira for the band's upcoming U.S. East Coast tour .In a September 2008 interview with Rock N Roll Experience, guitarist Rick Wartell mentioned that Trouble has written "eight or nine songs" for their next album, and would begin recording it after touring. When asked which direction is the new music going in, Wartell replied, "I know people have said this a million times and I know you've heard this a million times, but it's pretty fucking heavy, let's put it that way! The music end of it that Bruce and I are writing is getting heavier and heavier...it's getting heavier and then we want Kory to incorporate his style to what we are doing, that's basically all that we really want out of this."On November 18, 2008, Trouble announced, via their website, that they were in the process of writing songs for an album that would likely be released in the summer of 2009. A live bootleg recording featuring the new line-up was released via the band's website in 2008, then world-wide by Escapi Music about one year later. On March 4, 2009, Trouble revealed on their website that the new album would tentatively be called The Dark Riff. Music and imageTrouble's music lies with a traditional doom metal style, although their later albums showcase a more stoner-metal oriented style. Band members have cited influences by the early heavy rock bands of the 1970s such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Budgie, and Black Sabbath, Trouble have also incorporated elements of psychedelic rock to their style. Their music has been some of the slowest tempos being written at a time when NWOBHM and thrash metal bands were playing at increasingly faster speeds; Trouble songs generally move as fast as one of the slower Black Sabbath songs, like "Iron Man," "Lord of this World," or "Into the Void." While most slow songs by Iron Maiden or Saxon border into the area of ballads, all of the tracks on The Skull are as heavy as they are slow, with a distinctive fuzzy distortion and melodic, integral (rather than superfluous or ostentatious) guitar solos. The band could best be described as combining the riffs and tempos of Black Sabbath with the twin guitar attack of Judas Priest.Eric Wagner's lyrics deal with different themes, but the early Trouble albums are known for biblical references, especially because such themes were relatively uncommon in mainstream metal music of the 1980s. Some songs contain Bible quotes that were expressed in an oppressive way, such as "Psalm 9" from the 1984 album, causing the metal historian Ian Christe to describe Trouble's music as "majestic doom preaching". Other songs deal with social issues; "Bastards Will Pay," for instance, criticises politicians as hypocritical ("You tell us not to steal/ You tell us not to kill/ Then you tell us to fight for your country/ That's tell us to die"). Wagner's lyrics sometimes include a tinge of the hippie movement's melancholy and ideologies, with the term "peace and love" appearing on occasion. From Manic Frustration onwards, more references have been made to psychedelia, drugs, and hallucinations; "Hello