GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH”
NUCLEAR BLAST (2012)

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

Losing a fellow band member and a dear friend is an unbelieveably difficult situation for any musician to deal with, especially when this person happens to be as inspiring as Gotthard’s frontman Steve Lee. When the news of his motorcycle accident first broke, there were many people who believed that this could mean the end for the multi-platinum awarded Swiss Hard Rockers but axeman and sole remaining founding member Leo Leoni had other ideas. One year after Steve’s passing, he announced Nic Maeder as the new vocalist and, with him in mind, began working on ideas that would eventually lead to the release of the band’s tenth studio album entitled “Firebirth”.

Hard Rock is a genre that allows bands great variety in terms of expression but Gotthard always followed what one would describe as the ‘classic route’, recognisable in the music of Whitesnake (late 80s), Aerosmith (late 80s) and Thunder – the music ‘giants’ that we all know and love. Having said that, the Lugano-formed quintet could hardly be described as a copycat band, as they have always manage to give enough character and skill to their compositions – something that all fans of good quality Hard Rock can attest to. “Firebirth” is, without a doubt, another great addition to the band’s impressive musical arsenal, featuring everything from 80s-influenced Hard Rock staccato tunes and power ballads to acoustic themes that are supported by brilliantly conceived atmospheric orchestrations – all presented with much gusto and passion by a frontman who in his youth most probably had a few David Coverdale posters on his wall!

The album kicks off with “Starlight”, a dirty Hard Rocker whose massive riff and commanding vocal melodies still resonate with me and it is followed by the Deep Purple influenced mid-tempo “Give Me Real”. Does anyone miss the Brit legends Thunder as much as I do? Well, the orchestral power ballad “Remember It’s Me” will either comfort you or aggravate your pain as it is quite reminiscent of those London legends. “Fight” is a short straight-forward composition and “Yippie Aye Yay” a Rock n’Roll based, 80s sounding themed song that I have to admit that I am not particularly fond of; “Tell Me”, on the other hand, is a wonderful piano-based power ballad. “Shine” is another fine sample of good quality melodic Hard Rock while “The Story’s Over” is the dirtiest and most dynamic anthem on this thirteen track album. The latter part of the album is equally divided between class acts, such as the modern-day Bon Jovi-influenced “Right On” and the Rock n’Roll-y “S.O.S” on the one hand, and the more generic “Take It All Back” and “I Can”, on the other, leaving the hair-raising acoustic guitar opus “Where Are You” not only to provide a fitting ending to this impressive release but also a form of tribute to their former frontman.

Most bands that I can think of would be lucky to have survived, let alone release an impressive offering such as “Firebirth” under such difficult emotional circumstances so credit should be given to where it is due. I really hope that the band’s loyal fan base will provide a warm welcome to Nic Maeder as his vocal contributions have been quite instrumental on this album, which has become a worthy addition to the band’s discography. Steve Lee’s passing has signaled a new era for Gotthard but these thirteen new songs have indicated that it might just be a glorious one for the Swiss Hard Rockers.

John Stefanis

Rating: **** (4.0/5.0)

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)