Of all the albums I’ve been anticipating since its imminent
release was announced months ago, number one on my list is Monster Truck’s Sittin’ Heavy, out
February 19th. Hailing from
Hamilton, Ontario, and one of Canada’s best-kept secrets, I first discovered
Monster Truck when I attended the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal. As the festival is held at a park on an
island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, the only logical access point
is the local subway system which conveniently dropped concert commuters off
below the park entrance. As myself, my
girlfriend, our friend from New Jersey, and another mutual friend and resident
Montrealite were coming up out of the subway tunnel toward the festival
entrance, a band was already playing and man, were they ever laying down some
of the sweetest grooves I’d ever heard!
As we slowly made our way through the cattle chute in the late morning
sun, the grooves kept flowing and rocking, as we were head bobbingly
serenaded. Once we finally reached the
entrance I had to run over and see who was making that killer sound.
Unfortunately, their opening set was nearly
over and I didn’t have a chance to get close enough to see much of the stage,
but I looked on my festival schedule and looked them up and made a mental note:
“Monster Truck – I gotta look those guys up later!” The next week after I arrived back in sunny
California, I looked them up and discovered one of the greatest albums I’d
heard in a long time, 2013’s Furiosity, an album that has gotten
hundreds and hundreds of spins on my iPod (spins…plays…whatever!) since. Needless to say, I have been waiting for a
new Monster Truck album like a thirsty man who’s been in the desert for 40
days, so I was absolutely stoked when they announced they were in the studio working
on new material! Much to my absolute
giddiness, they have released the album a week early for streaming via YouTube,
and after a few listens I had to sit down and write about it.
First, let me preface by saying that after about 4-5
listens, I’m convinced that Sittin’ Heavy is every bit as killer as it's
predecessor. The album starts off with a
song title asking one of the most poignant questions of today: “Why Are You Not Rocking?”, which has one of
the best choruses I’ve heard put to tape “rock and roll might save your life,
it might save your life tonight!” Amen
brothers, preach it!!! “Don’t Tell Me
How To Live” continues the sermon with a killer guitar riff backed with equally
killer Hammond B-3 organ that sounds like every Hammond B-3 – AWESOME! Monster Truck capture that vintage 70’s hard
bluesy rock vibe as well or better than anybody going today. “She’s A Witch” begins with the guitar
playing a bluesy riff then picks up quickly as organ, bass and drums jump into
the fray. Up next is a Southern fried
rocker with a distinct country vibe in “For The People”, complete with slide
guitar solo and harmony vocals aplenty.
“Black Forest” is a heavy rock ballad that provides a change of pace
that opens with a lightly playing Hammond melody and bluesy guitar fills as the
vocals sing a lamenting melody, then builds to a heavier cry during the sorrowful choruses. “Another Man’s Shoes” is a heavy rocking
bluesy shuffle that leads to more head-bobbing and toe-tapping. “Things Get Better” picks up the pace again
with a driving piano and bass rhythm during the verses with killer guitar
riffing in the choruses. Up next is “The
Enforcer” an anthem that is certainly destined to be a staple in NHL arenas
sooner than later. (Side note: these
guys actually play beer league hockey back home and sponsor youth hockey teams,
which to the Riffcaster takes their coolness factor far
beyond the stage.) “To The Flame”
continues the rocking by backing the tempo to a slower stomping pace thick with
organ and rhythm section as the guitar winds around and riffs it up. “New Soul” ups the ante as well as the tempo
with a driving gallop punctuated by killer choruses, leading into a groovy lead
guitar breakdown before ramping back up.
Closing the ride is “Enjoy The Time” a tune that begins with an upbeat
simple organ melody, building to a vibe not unlike the Skynyrd classic “Simple
Man.”
The guitar is tasty and rocking throughout, the vocals are
bluesy and gritty, the bass and drums are toneful and always in the pocket, and
the Hammond B-3 is simply divine!
Seriously, every keyboard player everywhere needs to throw away their
synths and invest in a vintage Hammond B-3 and a Fender Rhodes piano!!! (Except you prog-rock guys, you can keep your
synths if you promise to use a B-3 and a Rhodes every once-in-a-while!
LOL!) Ok, I think I’m going to go do my
pre-order of the album now, man I hope these guys make it out to California!!!
-Riffcaster
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