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"In this “Stereo Crush”, Gotthard combines too few hits, merely decent titles and disappointing tracks."
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3/5
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It's been five years since Gotthard last graced our playlists. Such a break, unique in a career populated by albums popping up every two or three years, might be questionable. Could it be that the Swiss, who have been on deck for some thirty years now, are suffering from a lack of inspiration? As their previous opus was not buried under praise, “Stereo Crush” is bound to be greeted with circumspection.
In terms of on-board personnel, the band once again changes drummer and welcomes one of those who used the drums at Krokus, Flavio Mezzodi. The combo's unfailingly sketchy taste is also evident on this new production, with a cover that would make your own reflection flee. But it's when you hear the album's introduction that a real sense of dread grips the listener. 'AI & !' is nothing but stridency and cacophony, and it's not the pitiful attempt at a chorus that can make up for the wreckage. Fortunately, the rest of the album makes up for lost time.
The remaining eleven tracks veer between rock and melodic hard rock. It's in the latter that Gotthard shines brightest, and it's a great pity that the Swiss aren't more faithful to the trademark that has made them such a success since their debut. 'Thunder & Lightning' is the archetype of this savoir-faire. This laid-back, hyper-melodious hard rock track works wonders here, as does the radio-friendly 'Liverpool', which sends out its hard-pop as if it wanted to trump the charts. The hyper-dynamic 'Shake Shake' and its lead riffs are also excellent, as is the heavy 'Rusty Rose' and its Deep Purple-like intro.
This is followed by a number of successful but less impactful compositions: 'Dig A Little Deeper' reminds Led Zeppelin on its rhythm, and 'Devil In The Moonlight' benefits from a nice final acceleration. Then there are the three ballads on the combo's fourteenth album: one in power mode ('Burning Bridges'), one in bluette format ('Life') and one worthy of Bon Jovi ('These Are The Days'). These three tracks offer pleasant melodies, but are unlikely to be remembered for long.
On “Stereo Crush”, Gotthard combines a few hits with too many tracks that are just okay, if not soon forgotten. The repertoire is as varied as a traditional Swiss Army knife, but the work only occasionally hits the mark. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. AI & I
 02. Thunder & Lightning
03. Rusty Rose
04. Burning Bridges
05. Drive My Car
06. Boom Boom
07. Life
08. Liverpool
09. Shake Shake
10. Devil In The Moonlight
11. Dig A Little Deeper
12. These Are The Days
LINEUP:
Flavio Mezzodi: Batterie
Freddy Scherer: Guitares
Leo Leoni: Guitares
Marc Lynn: Basse
Nic Maeder: Chant
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(3) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
2/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
3/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH GOTTHARD
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT GOTTHARD
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