TRUCKFIGHTERS (Phi) CD
In opposite to half of the world, I wasn't the biggest fan of TRUCKFIGHTERS debut album 'Gravity X.' Maybe one of the main-reasons is, that I never was a real big fan of the so-called Stonerrock genre. Now it's 2007, and I'm listening to the new album from TRUCKFIGHTERS. Once again, I must confirm, that this Swedish group has a damn huge and ultra-fuzzy sound. Listening to 'Phi' is almost a sonic 3-D experience. The volume of the bass-drum is equal to the guitarsound and all that is wrapped up in a tranparent and dynamic production. But what about the songs? For my taste, the arrangements of the here included ten songs are more interesting, than on 'Gravity X'. Sometimes, the band comes along like a super fuzzed-out classic Heavy Metal band, as f.e. in "Kickdown", where they aren't really far away from Judas Priest f.e, soundwise. Mostly, Josh Homme left his signature in the group's heavy sound, and they don't hide that.
But TRUCKFIGHTERS have the skills, to combine all this influences to their own sound. A track like 'Chameleon' is played in a more progressive way, and like a chameleon, the song is changing its themes like a chameleon can change the colour. At the end of this long song, they added even a violin and acoustic guitars, what fits perfectly to the mellow ending. It's not the only track, where the band is showing, that they are good in changing the volume dynamics, within a song. Suddenly, after a calm part, a warm and massive wall-of-fuzz is roaring out of the speakers. "Slacken" or "Traffic" are just two examples, for the band's groove capabilities, which are on a very solid label. Despite of all fuzz and groove, TRUCKFIGHTERS have also a good sense for a larger scale of emotions, although I always ask myself, if all what they play is meant total serious? And does humour belong to heavy fuzzrock/stonerrock? Well, this shouldn't be the topic of this review, and although I will never be a fan of all this Kyuss/Fu Manchu-inspired bands, I must admit that this Swedish band still has a silly name, but also that "Phi" is a very good album for fans of this genre. They don't do anything new, but somehow their execution is sounding refreshing and entertaining.
(KK)
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