The UK's Mothertrucker have been around for a decade and in that time they have shared the stage with Boris, Mono, Baroness and Jesu to name just a few. They have had several releases since 2004 with "The Power of Independent Trucking" being their 4th release when it is unleashed on vinyl at the end of September.
Mothertrucker sound like they would be a straight up balls out stoner rock band with obligatory catchy riffs and stoned grooves but you would be wrong to think that dear reader. Mothertrucker actually play an excellent blend of instrumental, psychedelic and atmospheric post rock and metal with a definite lean towards doom. Make no mistake, Mothertrucker are as heavy as any of the heaviest bands around right now, but they choose to build up to those beautifully crushing moments in a climax of low end frequencies which makes their sound so much more satisfying and enjoyable to hear. They remind me a little of bands such as Colour Haze, Fog in the Shell, Can't Fake Nature and Wiht, all bands I am a big fan of and having heard this new album from Mothertrucker, I now have another brilliant post rock/metal/doom band to chalk up as one of my favorites.
From the opening tender chords of "Career Ender" Mothertrucker pluck an introspective air that builds to a drop into crushing post metal that is filled with huge riffs and searing, atmospheric and emotion swelled guitar licks that takes the track to its final 2 minutes of gentle and organic ambiance. This track is a great example of what Mothertrucker are all about as it contains all the elements they play with throughout the remainder of the album.
"Reef do all the work, The Beatles get all the credit" follows and I can't help wonder about the name of this one and also laugh a bit; actually a lot. I can't work out if it's a dig at Reef or The Beatles or both; not that I have any particular love for or aversion to either of those bands so I'll let the music on this one do the talking.
This track is at first a huge chugging behemoth that tweaks harsh heavy metal warnings that quickly evolve into a fast traveling through the universe, loaded with neck hair raising riffs and tripped out cosmic freak outs. In the final minutes the track twists and morphs into a filthy angry beast that spits invigorating sludge at you. Mothertrucker really know how to mix things up and they do it much ease and style.
"Vigo the Carpathian" begins with a floaty desert style riff that builds like Colour Haze with the similarity staying for much of the track but later on a blistering post rock element takes over which leads us to a climactic moment of heart rending beauty which left me gasping for breath.
After the silence comes an obnoxious screech before a plunge down into the deepest depths of doom with a huge crushing riff and brain stomping drums that shows Mothertrucker at their heaviest with "Duff McKagan's Kagan Wagon". A simple but pounding riff carries this track for the most part but a distant blues soaked guitar breaks through the sludge which has the track staying true to Mothertrucker's penchant for post rock and metal but things end in catastrophic doom and the fading drone of a now dead universe.
"The Southern Teeth" could be a final lament to the end as it is a ballad of soft and sparse guitar and one thrum of bass that drifts through a barren plain of long gone memories. The track acts as a brief pause within a storm of doom as the final track "Crypt Stalker" opens with dark chords, a thick bulbous bassline and ghostly guitar licks that build a black tension to a destructive climax of earthquaking heavy riffs and searing brain splitting post metal illuminations until everything breaks down into a final pounding of doom and a devastating end to a brilliant album.
Bravo Mothertrucker, Bravo!
You need this album in your life and it's out 30th September on colored vinyl or you can buy the digital album now from their Bandcamp so you all know what to do.
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