Album review: TRUCKER DIABLO – Social Hand Grenade

Big Unit Records [Release date 25.10.24]

It’s a sad fact that many of the NWOCR bands doing the rounds at the moment started out at least 10 years ago. The likes of Doomsday Outlaw and Sons Of Liberty come to mind.

Trucker Diablo originate from 2008 and six albums in they are regulars on the festival and support circuits. The reality is that this is about as big as it gets. Which is a shame for this band because they write engaging and memorable songs wrapped up in a forward-looking heavy rock vibe.

It’s in the live environment that this Northern Irish contingent thrive as several of our gig reviews attest. And ‘SHG’ gives them another reason to “get out there”.

The album opens with the fairly rudimentary ‘Kill The Lights’ but the song does establish the band’s modus operandi: The twin guitar onslaught of Tom Harte and Simon Haddock and the rock solid rhythm section (Jim McGurk and Terry Crawford).

If high octane hard rock is your bag, Trucker Diablo fuel it. The downtuned delights of ‘Stop The Bleed’ and ‘Dig’ are impressive whilst ‘Show Me The Way’ has the commercial urgency that Europe possessed back in 2006. The band show melodic variety on pieces like ‘California On The Run’, ‘The Power Of One’ and ‘Here’s To Heartbreak’. An album well worthy of your headbanging (and with some respite too). ****

Review by David Randall

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)