Simon RushworthTrucker Diablo – Tail End Of A Hurricane (Self Released)
If this is the Tail End Of A Hurricane then just imagine being in the eye of a Trucker Diablo storm?
This swaggering set of radio friendly hard rock is like a breath of fresh air as the NWOCR movement gathers pace.
It’ll blow away the cobwebs of a chilly British spring.
And bona fide party starters like Rock Kids Of The 80s could comfortably soundtrack the post-pandemic summer.
An album packed full of driving anthems is proof positive that the Truckers are back and firing on all cylinders.
It might have taken more than 18 months for TEOAH to see the light of day.
And it seems like forever that we’ve been waiting for a new long player by the prolific Ulstermen.
But this belter of a record is a timely reminder of Trucker Diablo’s outrageous talent.
Park your weekend plans and rev up the stereo.
Rock Kids Of The 80s are hard rock’s modern-day messiahs
Rock Kids Of The 80s was recorded at the back end of 2019.
But it could have been penned at the back end of 1989.
It’s Trucker fuelling their appetite for some retro excess and much-needed escapism.
But it’s a song that reflects the band’s bold approach to TEOAH.
Anything goes on an album that pulls in punk-fuelled angst, arena-powered bombast, raw emotion and polished production.
This is a record that ignores boundaries and builds to a compelling crescendo: in old money many of the best songs here are on Side B.
Latest single Slow Dance, the evocative Woodstock To Vietnam and the brilliant Bury The Ocean represent the band’s very best work.
Mixing groove-laden riffs with neat lyrical twists, the Truckers have never sounded more real or more relevant.
The big challenge will be topping this killer record two years down the line.
Harte stopping stuff from Major Tom
Frontman Tom Harte is a glorious amalgam of Chris Robinson, Chad Kroeger and Ricky Warwick.
There’s more than a hint of Nickelback underpinning booming standout The Edge Of Tonight.
And This Burning Heart could be Thin Lizzy jamming with Black Stone Cherry in a backstreet Belfast bar.
Trucker Diablo are no new kids on the block.
They know their rock and they know their market.
And all those years of hard gigging, honing their craft and gunning for glory have led to the career-high TEOAH.
Harte leaves nothing behind as he blasts his way through this 13-track tour de force.
In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a more focused display of vocal power from a British singer in 2021.
And it’s going to take something very special to knock Trucker’s Major Tom off his perch any time soon.
Trucker Diablo accelerate towards greatness
Let’s face it. Trucker Diablo deserve to be the engine room of the NWOCR.
They’ve paid their dues, delivered on their potential and knocked their peers out of the park with TEOAH.
Anyone who’s had the pleasure of witnessing this whirling dervish of a band live will need no convincing to snap up a copy.
And if you’re new to the Truckers then now’s the time to jump aboard.
Tunes like Don’t Hold Onto Hate (loving the solo!) and the biting Insects bring much-needed social commentary to the table.
But Harte and co. are at their best on the earworm of a title track and the throwback thrill of Rock Kids…
The Trucker Diablo boys can do it all. And they’ve done it all over again.
