Monster Truck

Playing loud-and-proud hard rock that mixes strutting ’70s-style arena sounds with a dash of grunge-era sneer, Monster Truck were formed in Hamilton, Ontario in 2009 by members of two of the area’s most popular bands — guitarist Jeremy Widerman and drummer Steve Kiely had played with the group the Reason, and keyboard man Brandon Bliss worked with Saint Alvia. Eager to play the sort of no-nonsense hard rock they’d grown up on, Widerman, Bliss, and Kiely teamed up with singer and bassist Jon Harvey, and in 2010 Monster Truck cut a four-song EP, originally sold at the merch tables at their shows. As word about the group spread, they struck a deal with Canadian indie label Dine Alone Records, who in 2011 distributed their second EP, a six-song release called The Brown EP. Two tunes from The Brown EP, “Righteous Smoke” and “Seven Seas Blues,” became staples on Canadian rock radio, and in 2012 Monster Truck gave a handful of their tracks a vinyl re-release on the 12” LP The Don't Fuck with the Truck Collection. The year 2012 also saw Monster Truck joining forces with the Sheepdogs for a sold-out tour of Canada, as well as opening several area dates for hard rock legends Deep Purple. By this time, Widerman, Bliss, and Kiely had quit their other bands to rock full-time with Monster Truck, and Dine Alone had struck a distribution deal with Universal. In 2013, the band dropped its first full-length album, Furiosity, which rose to number 13 on the Canadian album charts. As Monster Truck began growing into rock stardom at home, they won a Juno Award as the Breakthrough Group of 2013. After more touring in Canada, the United States, and Europe — including a stop at the U.K.’s annual hard rock event the Download Festival and a run of dates opening for Alice in Chains — Monster Truck entered the studio in 2015 to begin work on their second album. Titled Sittin' Heavy, it was released early in 2016. ~ Mark Deming