The basic assumption on the part of filmmakers Joerg Steineck and Christian Maciejewski going into their rock-doc Truckfighters is that, if you’re watching it, you already know who Truckfighters are. Honestly, that’s probably the best approach, since if you’ve tracked the feature-length movie down, you’ve probably done so on account of your fandom of the Swedish outfit, but I’d imagine that even if your interest was based elsewhere – even if you were just watching it for the story or because you have a documentary fetish or whatever else – Truckfighters would still satisfy on that level. Billed as a “fuzzomentary,” it’s a human story rather than rock and roll glorification, and that is bound to expand the reach of its appeal, and apart from the humor and sadness, and yes, the fuzz, it’s also incredibly visually stylized and holds the attention that way as well. Shot on Mini-DV and Super 8, its look is a big part of what ties everything together – along with spectacular editing and a few cartoonish or otherwise humorous montages – and though the retro visual feel doesn’t necessarily mesh with Truckfighters’ actual sound, which however influenced by ‘70s rock it might be is more modern, it still works. Narrated by original Kyuss bassist Chris Cockrell, who also shows up late into the film under his alias Vic du Monte, the story is broken into nine increasingly loosely presented chapters that wind up intertwining to tell the tale in a manner not nearly as fractured or disorganized as life actually is when dealing with a group of people working together toward a common end.

Steineck and Maciejewski (also responsible for the documentary Lo Sound Desert) don’t insert themselves into the actual film, instead leaving it to the band to talk about their lives in and out of Truckfighters, touring, recording, family, etc., with additional setup from Cockrell’s narration at the start of each chapter and at various points in between. Live footage features heavily, as one might expect, and since Truckfighters put on such an energetic show, it adds to the classic rock feel of the movie. At home, though, it’s quiet, and that’s where we start. Following an opening narration from Cockrell – who seemed to have in mind what Sam Elliott brought to The Big Lebowski as The Stranger in his reading voice — the film first shows us vocalist/bassist Oskar “Ozo” Cedermalm going to work at a ski shop in what looks like a cold Swedish winter. Chapter one is called “Common,” and it’s not long before guitarist Niklas “Dango” Källgren is seen in the studio recording a local hardcore band from Örebro, also Truckfighters’ hometown backdrop, which they discuss as boring and Ozo compares to The Matrix even as they splice in footage from a show with Witchcraft and Graveyard. It’s not until chapter two, “How to Get Things Done,” that drummer Oscar “Pezo” Johansson is introduced as being perpetually late, and the band’s shaky relationship with him is made apparent for the first time. He winds up being sympathetic and likeable, as do both Ozo and Dango over the ensuing two contradictory chapters, “Road” and “Home.” Stylized live footage and discussion of the hardships of van travel for touring should be pretty familiar to anyone who’s seen this kind of band-based documentary before, but a timeline montage takes us quickly through the history of Truckfighters and the past members of the band, Fredo and Paco – the latter who came in as a replacement for Pezo, whose drug problem, leaving the band and subsequent return and conversion to Christianity is touched on but never really explored deeply; although later we do see him discuss prayer as the band warms up for a show – and proves necessary for anyone who might not have followed them over the course of their years together and their three albums, Gravity X (2005), Phi (2007) and Mania (2009).

It turns out to be the making of the latter that Truckfighters is chronicling in part. We see the band in their Studio Bombshelter at various points recording, later on dealing with Pezo’s lack of dedication to the project and the band as a whole. Some of the most compelling footage, however is in the “Home” chapter. We meet Ozo’s and Dango’s sons and find out Ozo is a single dad. Dango’s son is an infant he calls “Mini-Dango,” and as we watch them cooking, doing dishes, cleaning up holiday wrapping paper – there’s even a shot of Pezo vacuuming spliced in to drive the point home – it’s clear the interest of Truckfighters is in portraying the band as human beings rather than rockstars. That said, they do admit to partying some, and a pretty funny semi-psychedelic montage of drunk antics ensues, leading to chapter five, “Issues,” which discusses van breakdowns, missed flights and tells the story of Ozo throwing a loaf of bread during a playful “bread fight” with the guitarist of Valient Thorr and hitting his eye, causing some apparently temporary damage. Both bands were on tour with Fu Manchu, which is also discussed later as the movie begins to veer away from the chapter narrative to take in the whole picture. In the midst of that bread-fight story, chapter six, “Family Fights” – which Cockrell can’t finish introducing without laughing – begins, and over the course of that and “The Body Burden,” which follows with a look at the wear and tear of Truckfighters’ high-impact gigging (already in the film we’ve seen Dango jump up and down on stage a number of times) and how they prepare for shows, stay fit, eat well, etc., the Pezo story really begins to develop. In the midst of watching Dango warming up and a funny scene of he and Ozo jogging while eating fruit (soon contradicted by footage of them drunk), we shift to the band in the studio and as Pezo records drum parts, it becomes clear all isn’t well within the band.

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While we’re doing super-news day, I read this a couple minutes ago in an update from Ghost Road Touring on Thee Facebooks. Obviously still kind of vague, but even if this is rumor at this point, it’s the kind I’m happy to help spread:

Legendary Viral Fuzz Lords, Truckfighters (Sweden) and Very Special Guests, Instrumental Mountain Rock Pioneers Karma to Burn (US), have announced plans for a full American tour for March 2012.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the best US club shows of 2012!

I guess I never got the email or whatever — or else I’ve posted the clip three times by now and just forgotten — but at some point Örebro fuzz heroes Truckfighters put out a video for “Con of Man” from Mania, and it’s hitting the spot perfectly tonight. What I like best about it is it’s not their most accessible track, not their most immediate single, but I dare you to not have it stuck in your head after even one listen. The underlying political implications of the video I consider a bonus.

Thanks to everyone who downloaded the podcast this week and who entered the contest to win the Moth Eater/Black Thai split. The running for that is over, and I fully plan on selecting names out of a hat to get the winners list this coming Monday, so that should be fun. For the time being, it’s been a tiring week in terms of work and class, and I’m glad to see it come to an end.

It was also my birthday this week (please don’t say “happy birthday”) and I always have trouble with that, but that really was only one factor to add to the overall stress. It was a relief tonight to come back to the valley after work, go to dinner with The Patient Mrs., drink some wine and enjoy the evening. I know it was something, but I honestly don’t even remember what was happening this evening in Brooklyn, and I’m just fine with that. Sometimes life turns out to be what we most need it to be at that moment. I’ll take it.

Again, appreciation to everyone who checked in this week. Starting Monday, I’ll be taking a look at records from Generation of Vipers, Morbid Wizard, The House of Capricorn and Ogressa. I’ll also hopefully have my interview with Black Cobra posted by the end of the week, and barring disaster, on Tuesday we’ll have a new track premiere from Rue as well, so stay tuned for that. It’s interesting to see the hierarchy of blog prominence come into play with that kind of thing — at some point, I’d like to write an essay about it, but I probably won’t — but I’ll continue to have new audio as often as possible to the best of my dictated ability. I guess some sites’ hipster cred has to pay off somewhere. Ha.

But anyhoo, this curious fuckall corner of the interwebs wishes you the best and safest of weekends. I hope if you choose to alter your consciousness, you do so in a wholesome and friendly environment, with appropriate aural accompaniment. See you in the Dingerhaus and back here on Monday for more silliness.

It’s a tricky proposition, playing in NYC on a Friday night. On the one hand, it’s pretty much the ideal, right? Get a bunch of people trapped in a small room on a small island — there’s really nowhere to go but to a show. On the other hand, there’s at least three shows for each of the eight million people on that small island, so it’s easy for a band to get lost in the mix. Truckfighters, on their first American run, made a landmark out of the Cake Shop on Ludlow St. Though I’ll certainly have other associations with it as well, it’s going to be a while before something comes to my mind when I think of the venue faster than, “Oh yeah, that’s the place Truckfighters played.”

A full 41 people took advantage of the “say The Obelisk and get in free” thing by the last tally I heard — which was about 38 more than I expected — and the vibe was insane. Like YOB/Dark Castle earlier in the week, it seemed like the people who were there were really glad to be there. And there were a lot of them. By the time Borracho were done, I turned around and the room was packed out. Weirdos, button-down yuppies and in-between-types came and went, but for most of the night, it was consistently hard to get to the bar for all the people standing around.

That has its ups and downs, which I probably don’t need to explain, but good for all the bands having heads to play to. The running order was Borracho, Blue Aside, Kings Destroy and Truckfighters headlining, and the show got going a bit before 9PM, allowing extra time for a crowd to arrive for Borracho, who were up from Washington D.C. solely for this one gig. Seemed like a haul, but if the bonus is you get to play with Truckfighters, I can’t imagine it wasn’t worth their time. They got a good response from the crowd too, played (unless I’m mistaken) four songs from their recently-reviewed Splitting Sky album, and were a fitting start to the evening.

I stand by the critiques I made of Borracho in that review, but it’s worth noting that as each song in their set began, I recognized it immediately. Sure, the record’s still relatively fresh in my mind, but I found myself anticipating the chorus of “Grab the Reins” and looking forward to what was coming next — even hoping for “Never Get it Right” — which I took as evidence of a certain level of quality in their songwriting. They have some growing to do yet, some smoothing out of their processes, but there’s something there. It’s not hollow stoner repetition, and while some of their parts wander, their potential as a unit is plain to see in the live setting. I bought a copy of Splitting Sky, and I think it’s going to be really interesting to hear how they develop with their next batch of material.

Their energy was infectious, in the meantime, which actually wound up not doing any favors for Blue Aside, who were decidedly more laid back and stoic in their on-stage presence. The Boston space doom trio started late following some technical problems with their bass head (an Ampeg SVT that they then put front and center on the stage), and shared vocal duties with an incongruence of atmosphere. Drummer Matt Netto had an almost frantic anxiousness in his playing that was contrasted by guitarist Adam Abrams and sandal’ed bassist Joe Twomey, both calmer and more methodical. Nonetheless, they gave a decent showing of material from their The Orange Tree EP, even if they were the odd men out on the bill.

Blue Aside also managed to separate the yuppie chaff, which was fine by me. It’s not that the band was bad, just out of place, and most of the crowd, which was anticipating a rock show, probably wasn’t ready for the spaced-out excursions they had on offer. That, combined with the conflict between energies as noted, didn’t do them any favors. Still, taken on their own level, they did well with what they had. Would be hard for anyone to play those songs bouncing off the walls.

At this point, I don’t even know how many times I’ve seen Kings Destroy, but it was awesome to catch them as a part of this lineup. I missed them with Sourvein in Brooklyn, so this was my follow-up to their Santos Party House gig with Orange Goblin, and as ever, they did not disappoint. They locked in a groove with “The Whittler” from …And the Rest Will Surely Perish and held it down across their whole set. “The Mountie” was especially tight, and the same new song they played last time around — now graced with the title “Holy Dice” — fit right in with the rest of the selections: “Planet XXY,” “Medusa,” “Dusty Mummy” and “Old Yeller” to close out. Good times.

And I mean that. In talking to guitarist Chris Skowronski after they were done, he said he didn’t think they’d ever felt so on point, and having attended as many of their shows as I have, I can’t help but agree. Each time I see them, they’re better than the last, and whether it’s the raised stage of Santos or the declining floor in the Cake Shop basement, they bring it, plain and simple. They’ve reportedly got more new stuff in the works, so here’s looking forward.

It had already been a good night before Truckfighters took the stage. If it had been just Borracho, Blue Aside and Kings Destroy for the show, it would have more than justified the search for SoHo parking. But Truckfighters made it something different entirely. There was no irony to what they did, no cheeky self-awareness masking insecurity. They took the stage, the crowd and the whole damn place. It was theirs. No worries. They gave it back after an hour or so.

I can’t remember the last time I saw people dance at a show. Not even just rocking out — legitimately dancing. Of course, it might have helped that guitarist Niklas “Dango” Källgren only stopped jumping up and down to take the occasional stroll through the crowd. It might have been the best use of a wireless rig I’ve ever seen. As he made his way toward the back of the venue, soloing all the while, the fuzz in his tone was epic, and the set played out like the stoner rock ideal. You could have filmed it and used it as a promo video, people were so excited.

It was kind of odd timing for Truckfighters to come to the States, since their last album, Mania, was released in 2009, but if this is just how the timing worked out and this was when they could all do it, fine. They killed. They managed to keep their intensity up for nearly the entire set, and it was easy to understand what prompted Josh Homme to say they’re the greatest band he’s ever seen, since they showed much of the same fluidity in their songs as does the Queens of the Stone Age guitarist/vocalist when playing live.

That is, though the songs had their given structures, there was an element of freedom in the trio’s handling of them. Bassist/vocalist Oskar “Ozo” Cedermalm had his parts to sing and obviously he, Dango and drummer Oscar “Pezo” Johansson weren’t getting up there and improvising for an hour, but each stop was held out longer for crowd interplay, and where most bands set a clear divide between themselves and their audience — “I’m here and you’re there” — Truckfighters engaged completely. You wanted to be a part of it, to go along with it, and they wanted to bring you. And in the case of Dango and someone’s girlfriend in the audience, they also wanted to make out a little bit toward the end of the set.

They had fun. It seems like such an easy thing, but it wasn’t about mocking something, or being rockstar assholes, or performing in some theatrical sense. They delivered a slew of material and closed with “Desert Cruiser” from 2005′s Gravity X debut, and they sounded like desert rock kings doing it. It was dangerous, out of control and completely fucking awesome. Motion was constant. For the second time in a week, I feel like everything I have to say about a show is hyperbole, but it’s absolutely true. Truckfighters paid off in full every bit of the anticipation I’d had to see them, and I have no idea when I’ll see a rock show that’s that good again.

I was handed a tray of drinks as their set wound down from the bar next to which I was standing, and I placed them on the stage next to Dango, like an offering. Of course, they got off stage preceding an encore and in that time some spoiled yuppie scumbag girls stoke their beers, but the sentiment of appreciation was there, anyway. The room cleared out on the quick after that encore, and I too was splittsville, not imagining any way the evening could possibly get better.

Who knows when they’ll have another album out, and who knows when and if they’ll ever come back. While they played, none of it mattered. All there was was fuzz and glory.

More pics after the jump.

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The much-awaited Truckfighters American tour kicked off last night in Providence (Anyone go? How were they?), and though I’m dying for tomorrow night to get here so I can head down to the Cake Shop in NYC, I’m also a little nervous that I’m going to be the only one who goes, “Uh, The Obelisk…?” at the door and gets in without paying. If you’re coming out for it, don’t forget! And if you could post this on Thee Facebooks or spread it around, tell two friends, etc., that would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s the flier for the show again:

It’s a great night, front to back. Thanks again to Steve Murphy and Kings Destroy, to Truckfighters, Blue Aside, Borracho and the Cake Shop.

If you want to prove it, you can print the flier below, but I think pretty much all you have to say at the door is “I read The Obelisk,” and you get in for free.

The show is July 15 at the Cake Shop in Manhattan, and hands down, it’s going to be one of the year’s best gigs, with Swedish fuzz mavens Truckfighters making their Stateside debut, and receiving welcome from Maple Forum alums Kings Destroy, Massachusetts space doomers Blue Aside and Doom Capitol-ists Borracho (whose new and soon-to-be-reviewed album, Splitting Sky, is available now). My temptation here is to launch into hyperbole about how these bands are saving rock or this or that, but the simple truth is it’s going to be a really special night and I’m thrilled to be able to take part in it in this small way.

So yeah, say “The Obelisk” at the door and you won’t have to pay to get in. Here’s the flier for the show:

Special thanks to Steve Murphy and Kings Destroy, to Truckfighters, Blue Aside, Borracho and the Cake Shop.

Fact: I fucking hate the summer. The heat and humidity make me want to curl in a ball and die. One of very few things I’m looking forward to about summer 2011 is getting to see Truckfighters on their first US run. Valley of the Sun are joining them for most of the dates (I’ll be at NYC for Kings Destroy, Borracho and Blue Aside opening), and the official tour poster has just been released. Here it is, just for fun:

Valley of the Sun also have a new EP called The Sayings of the Seers you can check out at their Bandcamp page. Review forthcoming, but the short-form version is it rules.

Well, if you needed a reason not to jump off of a bridge until August, here’s one courtesy of Swedish fuzz frontrunners, Truckfighters. The trio — who released the unbelievably awesome Mania in 2009 — will be touring the US for the first time, hitting a smattering of easily-driven-to locales on the Eastern Seaboard and in the Midwest. Could the killer fuzz of Truckfighters be what finally revitalizes Detroit‘s failed economy? Only time can tell.

And, oh! Would you look at that? None other than Maple Forum alums Kings Destroy are playing the NYC show. As if life needed to be any better. Hit up Kings Destroy here and tell them how stoked you are to see them with Truckfighters.

Here are the confirmed dates, plus a trailer for the documentary that’s been made about the band, featuring the likes of Nick Oliveri, Josh Homme and others:

Truckfighters US tour schedule:
07/13 Providence, RI Firehouse 13 w/ TBA
07/14 Worcester, MA Ralph’s w/ TBA
07/15 New York City Cake Shop w/ Kings Destroy and Blue Aside
07/16 Pittsburgh, PA 31st St. Pub w/ Sistered
07/17 Columbus, OH Ruby Tuesday w/ Valley of the Sun, Lo-Pan, Charlie Hustle
07/18 Cleveland, OH The Grog Shop w/ Valley of the Sun, Venomin James and Forged in Flame
07/19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick w/ Valley of the Sun and Bison Machine
07/20 Chicago, IL Reggie’s w/ Valley of the Sun and TBA
07/21 Dayton, OH Blind Bob’s w/ Valley of the Sun and TBA
07/22 Lexington, KY Green Lantern w/ Valley of the Sun and Asylum on the Hill
07/23 Charleston, SC Jimbo’s w/ Valley of the Sun, Gladrockets, Hollow Leg, Hooded Eagle, ElCamino

America needs Truckfighters. If you live in one of the cities below and can help put a show together for one of the best Swedish fuzz rock bands going, do it up. Ohio rockers Valley of the Sun are working on putting the tour together and sent me an email with their info and the potential routing they want the 10-day trek to take. They’ll be joining Truckfighters for the portion of the dates listed below. Let’s make this happen!

Dig it:

Fuzz rock powerhouses Truckfighters are bringing their groundbreaking brand of stoner rock to the US July 13-23.

Truckfighters will be joined for most of their US dates by Cincinnati, Ohio, band Valley of the Sun. The tour will stay on the East Coast/Midwest. Booking of the tour has just begun, any inquiries should be directed to: journeytothevalleyofthesun@hotmail.com.

Potential routing:

Truckfighters only:
07/13 New York City
07/14 Philadelphia
07/15 Baltimore
07/16 TBD
07/17 Pittsburgh

Truckfighters w/ Valley of the Sun
07/18 Cleveland
07/19 Chicago
07/20 Indianapolis
07/21 Cincinnati
07/22 Lexington
07/23 Atlanta

As 2010 makes ready to jump into the double-digit months, it occurred to me the other day to go back and take a look at my Top 10 of 2009. I remembered a few of the albums that rated off the top of my head, if not the order they were put in, but I thought it might be fun to look through the list and see where I stand on the albums 10 months later. Let’s check it out:

1. YOB, The Great Cessation (Profound Lore)
Yup, this is still the best album that came out last year. Check.

2. Los Natas, Nuevo Orden de la Libertad (Small Stone)
Also still rules. Like YOB, I keep this one on me almost all the time.

3. Masters of Reality, Pine/Cross Dover (Brownhouse)
I think I was just really happy Chris Goss put a new album out, although I’ve started to listen to it again now that it’s getting a domestic US release and there are a couple really quality tracks.

4. Truckfighters, Mania (Fuzzorama)
Every time I listen to this album, I’m reminded of how much I dig it. It’s in the same CD wallet as YOB and Los Natas, but I don’t reach for it as much.

5. Shrinebuilder, Shrinebuilder (Neurot)
I hardly ever listen to this anymore, but killer album, killer performances, killer personnel. Can’t wait to get swept up in the hype for the next one, then do the same thing.

6. Crippled Black Phoenix, The Resurrectionists/Night Raider (Invada)
I like the art so much for this album, I don’t even touch it because I’m afraid of screwing it up or leaving fingerprints. It’s gathering dust on my shelf. Pretty dust though, so that’s alright.

7. Wino, Punctuated Equilibrium (Southern Lord)
Am I the only one who thinks maybe Wino meant “punctured” instead of “punctuated?” I just happen to be wearing my t-shirt of the album cover today, so I guess it still curries favor. “Smiling Road” rules.

8. Yawning Sons, Ceremony to the Sunset (Lexicon Devil)
This one still gets listened to regularly, is in that CD wallet. If I was making this list today, it might be number three.

9. Om, God is Good (Drag City)
Cool album, but I never put it on anymore. Maybe I will now.

10. Them Crooked Vultures, Them Crooked Vultures (Interscope)
Josh Homme could take a dump on my brand new cupcake and I’d still have a man-crush on him, so this one was bound to show up. Needless to say, I went back to the first couple Queens of the Stone Age albums shortly thereafter.

If I had the list to do over, I’d put Blood by Snail on it, and maybe Church of Misery‘s Houses of the Unholy, which has kept its appeal pretty well. Other than that, I stand by most of the picks above. Let me know if there’s something I missed out on or anything you can think of that you never returned to once January hit.

Okay, maybe not, but I was intensely glad to be able to get my hands on a copy of the first Fuzzorama Records release (fuzz CD001), Fuzzsplit of the Century, featuring Truckfighters and Firestone. Neither band is stranger to these parts, Truckfighters having released one of my favorite albums of last year in Mania, and Firestone‘s Stonebeliever EP having been covered in a previous Buried Treasure, but to get them both on this split CD from 2003, when Truckfighters were really just getting going and Firestone was on their way out, was too much for me to resist. Fortunately, Freebird Records had a copy on the (relatively) cheap and I grabbed it from their mailorder.

In a way, it’s a “what you see is what you get”-type scenario. While the “of the Century” is as debatable as any claim of anything being the greatest anything ever is, I won’t argue it’s a fantastic bit of fuzz both bands grow from out their Orange amps. We already know Oskar Cedermalm is the link between the groups (he played guitar in Firestone and handles bass and vocals in Truckfighters), but what’s more interesting about Fuzzsplit of the Century is precisely what was alluded to in the paragraph above: hearing Truckfighters in their beginnings and what could probably be called the most realized version of Firestone before their dissolution.

As someone who encountered Truckfighters first with the Gravity X album, their more nascent approach here is less assured, and, though it carries the seeds that in context can be seen as what would later become Mania‘s progressive bent, less established. They were a young band in 2003. Firestone, on the other hand, had their mission clear from the outset and so sound like the tighter unit. Of course, it’s worth saying that both bands were fuzzy as all hell at this stage in their careers.

It was a kind of curiosity purchase, bought basically so I could hear the roots of one of Sweden’s top riffing outfits, and though Fuzzsplit of the Century certainly isn’t their best group of songs, it’s a fascinating go-through nonetheless, and worth investigation for anyone who’s been mesmerized by their work since. And since Firestone remains a mystery to me (they released several EPs that, so far, seem impossible to find), having five more tracks of them at their best is definitely a win.

This spring, when I envisioned the how the rest of the year was going to play out, right at the forefront of my mind was Mania, the third album from Swedish fuzz rockers Truckfighters. In both my review and interview with the band, I raved about how groundbreaking a record it was, how it was changing the face of modern stoner rock, adding a progressive intelligence to the genre that most bands wouldn’t even be able to conceive, let alone execute.

I feel exactly the same way today.

Mania, released through Fuzzorama, is hands down the best pure stoner rock release of 2009. It built upon the solid foundation of its two excellent predecessors, 2007′s Phi and 2005′s Gravity X, but took a turn in a more fleshed out direction that caught me off guard in how hyper-developed it was. All of a sudden Truckfighters were a mature band, one of the best in Sweden, and with tracks like “Monte Gargano,” “Con of Man” and “Majestic,” they set the bar incredibly high for both themselves and the genre. Not to get all neo-con about it, but I think as history plays out, Mania is a record whose importance will grow with time.

Some albums just feel like a landmark, and Truckfighters‘ third most definitely did. This is a personal list, and there were records I listened to more for myself, but not many (about three, to be exact), and I don’t know if any of them broke the kind of ground Mania did. It was a crowning achievement for the band, put them on a different level entirely, and more than that, left the genre different than it found it.

Mania by Swedish rockers Truckfighters — number three on this site’s recent list of the Top Five of the First Half of 2009 — is an album that by now nothing more needs to be said about around here. After posting the video, reviewing the disc and tracing singer/bassist Ozo back to Greenleaf more times than I care to count, it’s been covered in just about every way possible — except an interview.

So clearly it was time for an interview.

Ozo and guitarist Dango (now joined by new drummer Pedro) took some time out to field questions for the following emailer. The fuzzmasters discuss the growth of the band over the course of their three albums — Mania, Phi (2007) and Gravity X (2005), Dango reveals his guitar setup, the band’s plans for the future and even what it would take to get them over to the States for some shows. Q&A is after the infamous jump.

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I knew right from the second I put Mania on to review it that it was one of the best albums I’d hear this year, and I stand by it. These days I rarely get to listen to music for purposes other than this site (not a complaint), but when the occasion arrises, Mania is a constant. Swedish stoner rockers Truckfighters have moved onto a level of craftsmanship and genre expansion few bands can ever claim to know and not be lying. Their tracks are both memorable and intricate, guitarist Dango‘s tones are fuzzed out and the vibe is a damn good time.

It would be no challenge to sit here all afternoon and wax poetic about how much this record rules, but the simple fact is Truckfighters made a killer album and deserve whatever acclaim they can get from it. There will be those who yearn for the simpler days of the debut, Gravity X, or its follow-up, Phi, but if you miss out on Mania you’re doing yourself a disservice. That’s just plain science.

In an effort to further prove my point and in keeping with what has revealed itself to be the format of this feature, here is the video for “Monte Gargano” from Mania. Should strike a chord with any fans of racquetball or big sexy ladies out there.

Mania (Fuzzorama), their third full-length, sees Truckfighters confirming the suspicions raised by 2007′s Phi and proving they are next in a line of spectacular Swedish stoner bands including the likes of Spiritual Beggars, Dozer (of course), The Awesome Machine and Mammoth Volume; acts who’ve managed to remain true to their sound and the traditions of their genre, but still push the limits of expectation and become wholly unique and mature, furthering themselves and the scene as a whole for their effort. It is illustrious company, and Truckfighters deserve to be in it.

The average song has gotten longer and more progressive than was the case on Phi or certainly their 2005 debut, Gravity X, which was very much in the vein of stoner for stoner’s sake, despite showing the marked potential on which the two subsequent albums have cashed in with confidence befitting a much older band. And though I don’t doubt that faithful riff rockers will someday recount the glories of “Gweedo-Weedo” the way a generation lauds Fu Manchu and other ’90s fuzzers, the Cult-like chorus of “The New High” on Mania is precisely that: a new high for the band and the style alike. Rather than move away from stoner rock, they’re taking stoner rock with them, and that is the mark of truly innovative heaviness.

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