Truckfighters - Mania

Truckfighters are a band that had a distinctive sound in the beginning but that signature sound has been messed around with several times due to constant and destructive line-up changes. They have gone through two drummers and a guitarist in the last two years, their second drummer left due to an injury and was replaced by their original member who left again soon after re-joining the band. This would destroy most bands but somehow they kept things going even though the band at the moment is basically two members, Ozo and Dango. This is their third album and the lack of a second guitar player is quite noticeable but this is still a strong album anyway. That signature sound i mentioned was one of a distinct blend of fuzz and hard rock but on this album it seems a little more relaxing and laid back. The band to a certain degree has dropped the wall of guitar fuzz noise approach and have developed a much smoother hard rock sound. They don't have the same punch as they used to but the songwriting is still top-notch stuff that is moving into a more progressive rock sound while still retaining the riff rock vibe they have always had. In a few songs the band seems to be trying a different approach as in the opener "Last Curfew" which has some of the most aggressive vocals ever dished out by Ozo. "The New High" has one of the sickest riffs the band has ever done. While the second guitar is missing, the band seems to be trying to be making up for it by becoming more aggressive and that becomes more and more visible the further you get into the album.

Another stand out feature of the album is the gritty bass sound which has been cranked up a notch for this recording, once again this helps to fill the void left by the absence of the second guitar. "Monte Gargano", "Con of Man" and "Majestic" are all highlights on the album, the band has set themselves a new standard of songwriting with these tunes. The rest of the album seems a little over-rated to me but that is just my opinion. I know Truckfighters have a dedicted and loyal following and those people will love this album. Personally thier previous two albums have more kick than this one but this album has a definitive polish to it that is bound to attract new fans. Truckfighters seems to be moving away from ultra-dense desert rock metal sound and getting closer to much more marketable progressive rock with a more psychedelic edge. Its not mainstream at all but there is a obvious shift into a more commercial direction even though this album contains some real long songs. "Majestic" is over 13 minutes in length and is the best example of the band trying to get as much out of a song as possible in the fine tradition of progressive hard rock. Now that the term "Stoner Rock" is now officially dead and buried (if its not it should be), Truckfighters are one of the bands searching for a new fresher approach to the genre and they have found it on Mania. Time will tell if its the right way to go, check it out for yourself. I still rate previous albums higher than this but this is a album that could be the turning point for the band. 8/10

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