Sweden’s Truckfighters’ have been quiet on the studio front over the past few years, despite upholding their relentless touring schedule on the road. The Chairman EP marks their first studio release since 2009’s phenomenal Mania album, forming a salivating prelude to their upcoming Universes album, set to drop in January of next year. Mania maintained the riff-heavy fuzzy roots of their signature stoner rock formula while charting a more progressive, challenging path, with an increased focus on textures and lengthy, complex arrangements. These advancements didn’t come at the expense of the catchy and heavier aspects of their sound, instead shooting their psychedelically-tinged stoner rock into a rich and rewarding new dimension.
The forward-thinking stoner rock trio, consisting of Oskar Cedermalm (vocals/bass), Niklas Källgren (guitar) and Andre Kvarnström (drums), continue to break down the conventional aspects of the stoner rock formula with the kind of innovation rarely seen within the genre. Essentially, the 8.31 minute title track of this latest EP continues the expansive songwriting direction evident throughout Mania, as the proggy elements course fluidly through a dense and enthralling structure, loaded with engaging melodies and outstanding musicianship.
Yet for all of Truckfighters’ ambitions, their knack for songcraft has not been neglected. Musically, the versatile trio display great dexterity and chemistry without losing sight of the need for the fuzzy riffs, vocal hooks and proggy passages to resonate long after the song has faded. With this The Chairman succeeds in spades. With so much happening during the song, multiple listens are required just to digest and decipher the arrangement, while the ample catchy elements have a more immediate impact. Same goes for the clever vocal hooks and underpinning melody that compliments the soft-loud dynamics and balls-out jamming featured throughout the momentous tune. If the upcoming album is able to capitalise and extend on the pure mastery of The Chairman then it will shape-up as one of 2014’s must-have albums.
The remaining songs on the EP were recorded live in Australia, covering their three full-length releases. The engineering is top notch, doing justice to the slick and tight performance of the band live. ‘Desert Cruiser’, ‘Monte Gargano’ and ‘Traffic’ are easily recognisable when stacked-up against their studio counterparts, however, each song features some extended embellishments, such as the monstrous ‘Desert Cruiser’, which clocks-in at a whopping, but always engaging 12-minutes. Some nice crowd participation adds further character to the signature tune. The Chairman is a welcome return from Truckfighters, and while the live tracks are excellent, it’s the brand new title track that really whets the appetite for their highly anticipated new album.
8/10
Reviewer: Luke Saunders