Monster Truck – True Rockers (Mascot Label
Monster Truck - True Rockers
Group)
Release Date: 14th September 2018
If, like me, you live in a house
with a little person (aka ‘a child’) and you want to introduce them to the
world of rock’n’roll but you don’t know which strand of rock to start with then
I can only recommend that you pick up a copy of the new album, ‘True Rockers’, by
Canadian quartet Monster Truck. Now, I’m not saying it’s the best rock album ever,
but in terms of a gateway drug to the genre, this album offers you ever flavour
in intense colours. Stick with me, this will make sense in the end so sit your
wee one down and let the education begin.
The album opens, as all good
albums should, with the title track as a statement of intent and a guest
performer – start strong. ‘True Rockers’ opens with a driving garage-rock beat,
some bickering and then riffs the size of the Hoover Dam before settling in to
an anthemic stride. Oh, and the guest? It’s only Dee Snider doing his best
impression of a rock’n’roll preacher. Up next is ‘Thundertruck’ (no ‘s’ in there)
with an organ fuelled psyche-out tune that is as relentless as it is mammoth
with Motorhead’s spirit coursing through its veins (presumably having been absorbed
via the eyeballs). The middle-eight chant of “1985, say 1985” is spine
tinglingly good but you have to feel for the furious fingers of keyboardist
Brandon.
‘Evolution’ brings things up to
date with a track that owes more to Linkin Park than classic rock genres but
the sketchy beats in the verse are soon blasted away by an Audioslave-esque chorus
of colossal proportions. Now, sit up straight kids, there’s a history lesson
coming and its key – ‘Devil Don’t Care’ is a blues rock tune and it is, for my
money, the best track of the album. The gnarled vocals and dirty guitar give
the kind of warning that a bourbon soaked one-eyed prophet would dole out in
the corner of a dive bar but soon the resident band kick in with a snarl of
harmonica and lyrics like “you can’t sell your soul if nobody wants to buy it, sell
your soul, it’s already second hand”. There’s an eight count to start off ‘Being
Cool is Over’ before a wide-legged stance rock riff comes crashing through the
wall and a Foo Fighters ‘Wasting Light’ era tune emerges; “I can’t change, you
change, I like who I am”.
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| Monster Truck |
The drive of Bruce Springsteen
meets the anthems of Bon Jovi on ‘Young City Hearts’ and if you’re not yearning
to drive a soft-top down Hollywood Boulevard by the end of this then you might
need more education than your child does. How are they holding up by the way,
are they head banging yet? ‘Undone’ is the rock-ballad of the album and it’s a
fine example of the genre, necessary to catch a breath and all part of the
education experience. The doom-grunge of ‘In My Own World’ seems like a bit of a
downer compared to the fun being had elsewhere on this album but everyone loves
a bit of me time, right. Especially when you get to rock out, Deep Purple style.
If head banging isn’t occurring yet, then turn ‘Denim Danger’ up to 11 and get
your devil horns out – this is the anthem for small town disaffected youths and
it’s primed for launch.
On ‘Hurricane’ we get some Queens
of the Stone Age motorcycle rage out of our systems and that works us up in to
a frenzy ready for the grand finale. ‘The Howlin’’ blends Aerosmith, Soundgarden
and a little Led Zep to create a building, swelling and ultimately hugely
satisfying set closer and it is just beautiful. Monster Truck have created an
album that is fun, hard-rockin’ and without a single ounce of fat – you are
very strongly advised to get involved. So that’s it, class is out, you can all
run along now but don’t forget to pick up your leather or denim jacket and
there’s wallet chain with your name on it hanging in the hall.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ilovemonstertruck/
Live Dates:
13th November – Pumpehuset, Copenhagen
15th November – Pustervik, Gothenburg
22nd November – Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin
24th November – Muffathalle, Munich
26th November – Komplex 457, Zurich
29th November – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona
30th November – BUT, Madrid
1st December – Sala Santana 27, Bilbao
6th December – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
9th December – Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow
10th December – Arena, Manchester
11th December – Arena, Birmingham
13th December – First Direct Arena, Leeds
14th December – The SSE Wembley Arena, London