If The Devil Rhythm, the debut album from Northern Ireland rockers Trucker Diablo set your passions racing, than hold onto your gear sticks as the juggernaut has returned with second album Songs of Iron. Cut from the same template and loaded with the same high grade fuel of rock ‘n’ roll as its predecessor, the new fourteen track release burns another riveting expanse of intensive rubber on to the road The Devil Rhythm left ablaze for another irresistible contagious fury of rebellious rock.
Since forming in 2008, Trucker Diablo has been on an accelerated rise, the band consisting of four friends who united to unleash music they have a full passion for whilst employing experiences gained in the ranks of Joyrider and TILTED to full potency, making deep lingering marks by the day. It was not long after starting that the band was reaping acclaim and support with their live performances, the likes of Ricky Warwick, Ginger Wildheart, Joe Elliot, Damon Johnson, and Cormac Neeson endorsing their rising presence. Supporting and playing alongside bands such as Foo Fighters, Terrorvision, Anthrax, and Thin Lizzy in shows and festival as well as their own intensive touring has only reinforced their stature with The Devil Rhythm marking another impressive statement in their ascent last year.
Released through Ripple Music, Songs of Iron explodes from its very first second never letting up through to its final sizzling lick of
energy. Red Light On opens up the brawl with heated riffs and concussive beats beckoning the ear around the snarling temptation offered with intimidating power by bassist Glenn Harrison. It is an immediate hook to the senses and lays an inviting canvas for the impressive vocals spread and shared between guitarists Tom Harte and Simon Haddock. Thumping rhythms and big boned riffs seize the air with strong craft and energy to taking the listener on a contagious and commanding ride, a charge which makes no demands but incites a full involvement with its muscular intent. With melodies and barbed hooks, not forgetting the scintillating solo, as striking as the rippling sinews framing them the song is a pleasing start soon surpassed by the excellent Year Of The Truck.
From the first note the song gnaws in the ear with savage rapacious hunger, the riffs iron clad and as intrusive as any Meshuggah or Mastodon could conjure and lying somewhere in between the two in voice, ensnaring the passions with intensive persuasion whilst the drums of Terry Crawford cage all with crisp and potent invention. It is again the bass growl of Harrison which seals the ardour in tight, one of the highlights of the last album just as riveting and viciously seductive this time around in nothing but impressive attributes offered by all members on Songs of Iron. Virulently anthemic and catchy, the track launches an irresistible call on voice and limbs for a full involvement and contribution towards its gasoline burn up, though all the songs have that power in varying degrees.
The southern rock toned stance of passion and enterprise, The Rebel steps up next to leave further irresistible inducement working on the passions. Loud whispers of ZZ Top and Black Label Society add their rich vapours to the track and single from the release, a song which with ease accelerates the heart rate, and beyond safety levels one suspects such its epidemic call. It is a staggering start to the album which is continued now into the heart of the release through the likes of Drive, the outstanding Not So Superstar and its dirty brew of scorching rock ‘n’ roll, and the melodic hard rock honed The Streets Run Red, whilst others such as the muscle bruising Lie to Me and the emotive ballad Maybe You’re the One bring further variety and depth forward. Admittedly not all the tracks ignite the same heights of passion as others but there is never a moment where satisfaction is left half-filled or the stirring skill and invention of the band not openly there to be hailed.
Further especially enriching highlights come through the crushing Bulldozer, where again that bass rips the senses to tattered remnants of their former self aided by corrosively greedy riffs and rhythms whilst the anthem bearing chorus and group harmonies light a melodic fire to sear the wounds, When’s it Gonna Rain with its seriously chunky riffs and southern heat, and best track on the album Shame On You. The last of these three has a swagger which like it’s delicious grooves is an addiction of toxic suasion, its lure permanent and deeply entrenched in thought and heart by its end, the delicious addiction cast by devil spawn riffs and rabid rhythms wrapped in a sonic furnace.
Completed by the excellent I Want To Party With You, a song giving you exactly what it desires, Songs of Iron is an exceptional slab of rock ‘n’ roll, all songs mentioned and left for your discovery pure adrenaline raising pleasure. There is no boundary breaking going on here just riotous rampage within what is one of the most exhilarating albums this year so far, and that is more than good enough for us.
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9/10
RingMaster 14/05/2013
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brewing to an impending climax but then instantly dropping off into a melodic guitar crafted caress. With vocal nudges making a claim alongside the bass, their whispers as if spawn through a vacuum hose, the track shimmers and resonates like an ever revolving wheel of textures and dimensions, a clarity eluding the grasp until a time of its choosing when the guitar entwines the ear with a deliciously grooved irritant to its touch and mesmeric call. It is a restrained but dramatic start, the impressive first of a flow of tracks provoking the mind and its invention.
crippling beats and gnarly savage riffs whilst electro industrial winds warm the clinging intensity. Opener Nescience takes mere moments to succumb the ear and senses, its rampaging appetite and corrosive breath a delicious malevolence with the snarling growls of bassist Bertozzi adding extra spite. Into its stride the clean melodic tones of Mancini wraps an emotive embrace around the wounds as the guitars also add their restrained flames but the ravaging heart of the track is never quelled, erupting and consuming at a constant persistence throughout. It is a staggering start which satisfies the violent intent and melodic temptation of all hearts with skill and invention.
immediately lights up the senses before working on the passions. Opener Soul Taker instantly makes its entrance upon a fire of inviting riffs and punchy rhythms before reinforcing it with further rhythmic sinews and muscular riffing. The vocals of Glen Korner are an easy persuasion upon the ear, his rich expressive swagger holding a snarl and equally potent cleanly delivered persuasion, whilst the guitar craft of he and Neil Fish chew and entrance the ear with sheer accomplishment and inventive intensity. The band has had comparisons to the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Black Label Society, Clutch, and Alter Bridge, and this track instantly tells why. Admittedly it and subsequent tracks are not pushing existing boundaries but deeply satisfying riots of sound and pleasure they certainly are.
wrapped in great vocal harmonies. Taking a small breath for the vocals of Wlaysewski to begin the narrative within a warm hug of elegant melodies and entrancing synths, the song lifts its feet for a strolling flow of aural smiles and keen bounce to its gait. It is an irresistible welcome into the album, its demands minimal but rewards plentiful in their engagement and energy.
sprawl of guitar flames and firm rhythms. Settling into a slow stroll the bass prowls with a wonderfully deep voice whilst the guitars accelerate their searing touch with enterprise and greedy energy, both aspects with the still commanding drums brought to focus by the excellent vocals of Negrini, his clean expressive tones holding enough snarl to bridge the rapacious textures and melodic invention within the song. The track never settles in its imagination continually switching and involving further aspects and riveting ideas as well as being littered with varied directions, the unpredictable and fluid transitions wrapped in the persistent intensity and heart of the song for a deeply satisfying confrontation. The throaty growl of the bass is an extra treat in the song and carries right through the whole release though Vetere too varies its stance and gait to never allow assumptions a place in the scheme of things.
acoustically led and melodically persuasive pop rock, for want of a better term. With tracks taken from the upcoming album of the same name, it lights up the senses with contagious recruitments for voice, senses, and passions. Opening track Drawn starts with shimmering sonics before immediately opening its melodic arms to embrace in an acoustic cored smouldering piece of melodic elegance. The clean tones of Alex add to the warm ambience and by the time the first run of the chorus comes in the song has enlisted gleeful participation and addicted attention. As it stretches its stride with ardour seizing melodic flames and classic rock whispers expanding the strength and lure of the song, it is impossible not to be wholly enamoured with the enterprising treat on offer and anticipation for the songs to follow heightened.
