Frontiers [Release date: 19.01.24]
Debut album from Gotus, an international rock/metal collective.
That said, it doesn’t seem quite right calling an album recorded by ex Krokus and ex Gotthard musicians, fronted by an increasingly famous vocalist, a “debut”. (and personally I think Krokhard would have had more impact).
Of this group, Mandy Meyer and Ronnie Romero are perhaps the best known. The others, drummer Pat Aeby, bassman Tony Castell and keyboard player, Alain Guy complete this five man band, forming a perfect rock/metal quintet.
The band trailed the album in October last year with the “teaser single” release ‘Fallen Angel’, a case hardened chunk of hard rock that belies the banality of its title.
As for the album, anchored by the bolted to the floor rhythm section, Romero and Mayer have a ball, both delivering with customary fire and artistic invention. They may have walked this path many times, but for many, as a turbulent world appears to be collapsing around us, that musical familiarity will be very welcome.
They come out their corner swinging, punching hard with ‘Take Me To The Mountain’ (next single) and ‘Beware Of the Fire’. Muscular metal with an emotional pulse, with the two leading protagonists striking off each other to create the exhilarating spark of high calibre hard rock
The melodic, balladic ‘Love Will Find A Way’, underpinned by Mayer’s melancholy guitar, has one of Romero’s best (and only slightly Coverdale’d) vocal performances. Factor in a densely constructed arrangement, where yet you can hear every note, and you’ve got a genuinely exceptional album track.
It will come as a surprise to everyone except AC/DC fans that ‘Undercover’ isn’t in fact an AC/DC cover.
It burns a white hot, hard rock path from start to finish, setting the scenery on fire until it comes to an abrupt stop, five minutes later.
An accidental tribute.
Talking of covers, the band give their storied past a couple of nods with a bluesy, tough as teak version of Katmandu’s ‘When The Rain Comes’, and an accordingly commercial version of Gotthard’s ‘Reason To Live’, in both cases the originals were recorded when Meyer was a member. As with several others, you can’t help seeing Whitesnake out the corner of your eye. But what’s wrong with that?
Quality Hard Rock and Metal. Life in the old dogs etc etc. ***1/2
Review by Brian McGowan
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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