GUITARS AND TESTOSTERONE

Diesel King

#gofuckyourselves

After several years on the live circuit, two EPs and an album to their name Diesel King are no strangers to the UK metal scene. Hailing from London these lads have made a name for themselves with their aggressive take on sludge metal and their intimidating live show. Their upcoming release, the sardonically titled EP #gofuckyourselves, delivers what we have come to expect from Diesel King. From the get go the tone of the EP is set with Mark O’Regans confrontational lyrics aggressively delivered in his trademark bark on opening track Declaration as Brutish meat head riffs begin their trudging march through the song. The guitar tones are crunchy and riffs groove laden throughout the EP, The drums hammering out steady streams of double bass pedal whenever needed. Mark’s vocals swing from aggressive barks to occasional burst of disgusting gutturals but are always dripping with testosterone. The EP’s highlight, a track titled Cut The Cord, turns up the pace with chugging metallic hardcore riffing before slowly descending into an unholy doom breakdown and closing out again with groove laden guitars. The EP Finishes with an unlisted cover version of the Phil Collins' power ballad Easy Lover beefed up with thuggish metal guitar chugs and delivered with a knowing smirk showing the band's sense of humour. This is the thing to keep in mind when listening to the three original tracks on this EP, it never feels like Diesel King want you to take them too seriously. Their over the top cartoonish machismo and aggression is the musical equivalent of watching a classic Schwarzenegger action flick. It’s dumb, fun mosh pit music and that is all it's meant to be. Diesel King’s sound does draw inspiration from a range of down tempo metal. Drawing on elements from sludge, groove and even Entombed’s Wolverine Blues era death metal with forays into metallic hardcore as well. Diesel King have distilled their sound into a tight formula and if you have enjoyed their output so far and want more of what they do this EP will deliver exactly that. What the EP doesn’t do unfortunately is strive to show us anything new and the caricature thuggish metal head machismo, however tongue in cheek it is, for me personally is beginning to go from endearing to tiresome.

FFO: Crowbar, Eyehategod, Pantera, Entombed, Sepultura.

6/10

#gofuckyourselves is released on 23rd of June through APF Records available in digital and physical formats. Stream the first track for free now through the Diesel King Bandcamp page.