GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH”
NUCLEAR BLAST (2012)
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)
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
Next session: Sunday 19 January
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
