Truck Returns By: Gerard Golden
Newsflash bitches, guitar driven rock is back. Virginia Beach based
TRUCK has unleashed their new CD unto the world, and here at
the Undersound we are grateful.
There's nothing straightforward about TRUCK's musical sound. It's 2
parts punk, 1 part reggae, and one part something else. It's quite
evident that this isn't your typical rock band. In fact, one lead
singer isn't good enough for TRUCK. Jeremy Lasley and Pat Lonning trade
off the duty of lead vocals. Pat's voice is a raw, powerful, nasal
based voice that nicely compliments Truck's pop punk sound. His voice
evokes comparisons to Sum 41, The Living End, and the Descendents.
Jeremy, on the other hand, sounds like the love child of Barry Manilow
and Rob Danzig. His voice is perfect for the more laid back, reggae
sounding songs.
The stand out track of Truck's new CD is "Monkey Dust". And no, I
have no idea why it's called that. It begins with a funky, soulful bass
line and ends with raging, distorted guitars. Lead guitarist, Joe Graves's
guitar solo is a salient masterpiece. Joe's rig includes 10 different
pedals that boast a cornucopia of sounds. His multiple pedals create a
very versatile and distinct tone. In fact, Joe's guitar rig speaks
seven different languages including Farsi and Arabic. When he's not in
the studio, Joe's guitar has been known to broker peace treaties
between Israel and Palestine with its blistering solos.
I had a chance to sit down with Eric Lonning, the drummer of the
band, and talk about Truck's new CD.
G- How long has Truck been together.
E-We've been together several years, but the current line up with
Jeremy Lasley is only six months old.
G-How would you describe your sound in your own words?
E- All of our songs are very different, which is bad when trying to
categorize the band, but the upside is that there's something for
everyone to enjoy.
G-Who would you say is your biggest influence?
E-We draw most of our influence from Nickelback, but I would never go
so far as to say we're nearly as great.
G- And now your serious answer?
E- 311, MxPx, Goldfinger, Alkaline Trio, Unwritten Law, and Blink-182
G- What's your favorite song on the new album?
E- "There's always something" is the most fun to play drums to.
G-I noticed that the new album promotes a homosexual agenda. Any
reason why?
E-The answer to that question is in my pocket; why don't you reach
in and grab it?