Album review: TRUCKER DIABLO – Songs Of Iron

Ripple Music [Release date – 13.05.13]

Back in December 2011 Trucker Diablo’s first album ‘The Devil Rhythm’ dropped onto my door mat ripe for review. After listening to said disc my one issue with the album was that it had arrived too late to make my ‘top five’ end of year selection. To put it bluntly it was an album that kicked some serious arse, big, ballsy, booze fuelled rock anthems that left a lasting impression. Fast forward to the here and now and the band are about to unleash their second album,’ Songs Of Iron’, can it reach the high standards set by ‘The Devil Rhythm’?

That question is emphatically answered within the first couple of tracks, ‘Red Light On’ and ‘Year Of The Truck’. Both tracks lead on from where ‘The Devil Rhythm’ left off, huge classic rock numbers with hooks so big you could use them to land Moby Dick! The secret to the band’s success is their ability to write songs that are filled with hooks and riffs which get lodged in your brain and will have you singing along within a couple of listens, catchy doesn’t really cover it.

There are 14 tracks on the album which could be a bit of an ordeal, but each track here has you craving more and it comes as a disappointment when you reach the closing bars of the last track, ‘I Wanna Party With You’. Still, all you need to do is click back to track one and start all over again.

Picking any highlights from the album is hard as all tracks are top notch. There are, however, a few that do stand out, ‘Drive’ and ‘Rock Hallelujah’ would both make excellent single releases, the epic ‘Maybe You’re the One’ which dips a toe into ballad territory and the afore mentioned ‘ I Wanna Party With You’ which will be a monster track live.

Trucker Diablo have once again proved that they are one of the best up and coming bands on the circuit at the moment. Their songwriting and playing would put a lot of older, more established bands to shame, in fact most would sell their own Grandmothers to come up with an album this good. If there is any justice in the world then 2013 should be ‘Year Of The Truck’, just go buy this, you won’t be disappointed, except when it ends! *****

Review by David Wilson

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)