Truckfighters
Gravity X (CD) 2005/06 MeteorCity
This is MeteorCity's American release of the phenomenal record that was first released on the Swedish Fuzzorama label last year. For a first full-length effort by a band that had previously only officially released a split EP, this album turned a lot of heads, and rightfully so. It's got it all: huge production, great songwriting, and superb melody, all combining to create a classic desert sound that made it a year's Top 20 choice for many of those that heard it in '05. The dudes in Truckfighters must have a big 'ole Bassomatic blender, because they're so adept at slicing, chopping, and liquifying influences both old and new and pouring out something that is uniquely their own. Some may find it quaint to label this retro stoner, forgetting that with many of the genre's classic bands retro was part of the point. Truckfighters takes the best of 70s riff mongers and 80s and 90s Washington state rawk, then combines it with the distilled wisdom of current desert masters to create a sound both fresh and familiar. Can you dig it? They really care about their sound, too. This rekkid hits you like a 20 kiloton fuzzbomb! It was recorded in a decommissioned war bunker, and whoever had that idea was right on track. The drums are HUGE, and combine with the bass to create an ultra-heavy rhythmic juggernaut. The guitars are so replete with weighty fuzz that you feel like slathering them with honey and eating them. Ur... you know what I mean, don't you? But it's not all bash and crash; there are plenty of moments of subtlety, in various shades of light and dark. That's just kindness on the band's part; it enables you to peel the back of your head off the wall for the next onslaught. I can't detect a single duff track on the whole album, either. It's consistent, and consistently good. If you love the desert sound and can only buy one album this year, make it this one. Truckfighters stands shoulder to shoulder with the best, including Lowrider, Dozer, Mammoth Volume, Astroqueen, vintage Fu, Fatso Jetson, QOTSA, and Novadriver. They even throw in a little Sabbath, for that low-end authenticity. But first and foremost, these are four guys making their own music and sweating it out on stage. No doubt the financial gain is modest at best, and the groupie action limited. So all you desert freaks had best show some love for a band that deserves it, and give it up for 'Gravity X'.	1. Desert Cruiser 2. Gargarismo 3. Momentum 4. Freewheelin' 5. The Deal 6. Superfunk 7. Subfloor 8. Gweedo-Weedo 9. Manhattan Project 10. In Search of (the) 11. Intermission 12. A. Zapruder 13. Altered State Approx. 67 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh