Gotthard – Stereo Crush

vote
7.5

• Band:
  Gotthard
• Duration: 00:43:31
• Available from: 21/03/2025
• Label:

• Reigning Phoenix Music

The Gotthards come with “Stereo Crush” at their fourteenth studio album. The Swiss band has crossed various phases during his career, passing from the bloodstream of the origins, under the guidance of Chris Von Rohr (ex Krokus), to a more focused style on the melodies, which has also led to obtain greater commercial success (especially starting from “Human Zoo” than 2003). The tragic disappearance of the historic singer Steve Lee then led to further changes, with Nic Maeder's grafting behind the microphone and a sound with more seventy -seven veins, particularly evident in records such as “Bang!” or “silver”.
The album “#13” to some extent has marked a further turning point in the musical path, with the sound of guitars decidedly more focused on guitars, while continuing to use keyboards and Hammonds, whose contribution was however decidedly more marginal than the previous discs: a sound in some way closer to that of the origins, but which at the same time squeezed the eye to a fresh and modern rock. It should be highlighted how the album had been released just before the pandemic broke out and therefore engaged the band for a long promotion in the following years, due to all the tours and concerts postponed in 2020. Also for this reason, although five years have passed, the new work, entitled “Stereo Crush”, strictly reconnected to its predecessor and undoubtedly continues the path taken with that album.
Let's say that however it is a somewhat varied album, with which the Gotthard treasure their experience and their background: there is therefore always a great attention to the melodies, with certainly captivating songs such as “Thunder & Lightning”, “Shake Shake” and “Dig a Little Deeper”.
For his part, Nic Maeder is very versatile with his voice and able to enhance songs characterized by hard and rocky riffs, such as the initial “Ai & I” or “Boom Boom”, or to excite more sweeter and more delicate and for example others, such as the splendid “Burning Bridges” and “Life”. Some trace also maintains a blue -style touch, as in the case of “Drive My Car” (which has made us think about the aerosmith) or “These are the days”, where the band also made use of passages with the harmonica.
Among the Highlights we also include a beautiful uttempo as “Liverpool”, which, however, sees the band returning to collaborate with Chris von Rohr. On the other hand, he did not completely convince us “Rusty Rose”, a piece structured on low shades, which sees the use of the talk box, certainly with good potential, but with a not particularly captivating refrain.
Overall, however, the disc is pleasant and works well: the new drummer Flavio Mezzadi has been very well included in the rhythmic section, while the couple at the six ropes made up of Leo Leoni and Freddy Scherer, now well -like and widely tested, shines particularly thanks to this choice made during the production (entrusted open by Charlie Bauerfeind) to put the guitars in the foreground.
“Stereo Crush” therefore represents a convincing return for the Swiss group: maybe a few songs, in the effort of being Catchy and very direct, risks playing a little trivial and the presence of some other trace would not have spoiled with the most vigorous sound, but there are certainly many good songs, so we can conclude that it is our opinion of a nice album, in which the Gotthards have once again managed class and their experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1swdgrxvxo