Written: 15th March 2025
Gotthard – named after the mountainous region of their native Switzerland – first came to my attention very early in their career when they were supporting Magnum at Hammersmith Odeon in 1992. While the debut album – which I often revisit - is a wonderful slice of hard melodic rock, I must admit that I have not been totally consistent in following them over the past thirty years, dipping in and out of their discography. Stereo Crush is their fourteenth album and follows 2020’s 13, representing the longest period between releases for the band.
Stereo Crush begins with the pulsating rhythms of AI and I, the lyrics of which are a topical subject indeed. A heavy rocker, it represents something a little different for the band with some gritty almost sleazy riffs as vocalist Nic Maeder adopts a darker and gruffer timbre during the verses. The choruses are more melodic but elsewhere, their remains a more ominous undertone. A solid opener that shows Gotthard are not just relying on old tricks to capture the listener’s interest.
Thunder and Lightning – already released as a single – is probably more akin to what fans expect from the band. Gotthard have always been able to write a catchy hook and the opening to Thunder and Lightning has just that. Marc Lynn’s bass stomps with a confident groove combining effortlessly with drummer Flavio Mezzodi on his first album with the band. It is an instantly memorable song that has you tapping your foot on the first listen and singing along by the third. Still, we're on the night train / And all around us flashing lights / They say it never strikes in the same place / But it got us both tonight. Shedding light on the song’s creation, Maeder states, “Freddy came to my house with the musical idea for this song. I then spent quite some time figuring out lyrics. The sound of the chorus riff somehow sounded electric to me, and I was thinking of words like 'lighting,' 'thunder' etc...and then I thought of the concept of how lighting never strikes twice but in this case it does, using this as a metaphor for love.” Like many of the quintet’s tracks, it is a song that would sound wonderful with the top down on a summer’s drive.
Rusty Rose's keyboard introduction is reminiscent of Deep Purple and even The Doors. With a more rugged groove than Thunder and Lightning, Gotthard demonstrate they retain their love of heavy riffs. Lyrically, the song delves into the feelings of someone battling cancer but determined to keep fighting. The words never specifically mention the disease, instead using the lyrics to depict the struggle, the moments of sorrow and helplessness and the desire to eradicate the cancer with the rusty rose metaphorically representing the decaying beauty and life. There is a dogged spirit within the music with the guitars driving the track and the solos intertwining in battle like the body of the protagonist and the cancer within him. The tender piano opening of Burning Bridges signals a change in direction once more. This is classic power ballad territory with Maeder the star of the show. Simpler in style and format, the gentle backing vocals add layers of texture to this slower paced song.
More surprisingly, the fifth track is a cover of The Beatles’ Drive My Car with Gotthard injecting their own flair into the track with enthusiasm. It is a zesty and vibrant version with the band clearly having fun. Boom Boom follows in similar vein on a track that has personal meaning for guitarist Leo Leoni, “I wrote it when I found out that we were expecting a child. The birth of my son Gabriel was a moment that completely changed my life. When I hold him in my arms, look into his eyes or see his smile, I feel an indescribable love and deep gratitude. This song is my way of expressing all these feelings for him." A vivacious and throbbing track that crackles with energy, it keeps the album’s momentum alive.
That momentum dissipates a little on Life albeit the ballads on Stereo Crush are, for the most part, well positioned. Life is measured and contemplative with more introspective and meditative lyrics. With the band’s sound supplemented by strings, they further draw out the emotion within the song. While Maeder gives another good performance, even for a ballad, it is a little slow and slick. While I have no doubt many fans will love this track, I personally find this to be the weakest point on an album that elsewhere remains consistently strong.
The pace of the album is restored on Liverpool, a collaboration with former co-producer and songwriter Chris von Rohr. With more than a drop of 1980s rock DNA, it is another song that will worm its way into your consciousness in just a couple of plays, the infectious hooks, soaring guitar solos and celebratory piano adding to the nostalgic feeling of the song. Take me / Take me back / Let’s fall in love / In a roof down Cadillac / And never come back. Entertaining and irresistible.
Much as I enjoy the brighter, melodic side of the band, the two best tracks on Stereo Crush come in the form of Shake, Shake and Devil In The Moonlight, both of which highlight the tenacious swagger of which the band are capable. Devil In The Moonlight exudes a self-assured strutting bravado and groove that enhances its allure – guitarists Leo Leoni and Freddy Scherer the perfect foils for each other - and Shake, Shake – which opens with an intriguing bass line from Lynn - builds wonderfully until it explodes with one of the best choruses to be found on the album.
The album closes with the mid-paced but forceful Dig A Little Deeper - which gets better and better as it accelerates towards its conclusion - and These Are The Days, which is highly redolent of a 1990s era Bon Jovi ballad. Obviously, this is a point of personal preference but reversing these tracks would maybe have been a little better in terms of the flow of Stereo Crush, allowing it end on a rockier note. However, many melodic rocks bands seem to prefer ending albums with ballads.
Despite a slight dip in middle on Life, and – let us be honest – with some tracks not having the most sophisticated lyrics you will hear this year (Boom Boom, I am looking at you, for example), Gotthard have returned after five years with an album that, on the whole, packs a mighty punch. Stereo Crush is an uplifting and dynamic offering that is a more than worthy addition to their back catalogue. They still skilfully weave captivating hooks and choruses that urge audience / listener participation, all imbued with their characteristic exuberant vitality. Those who already enjoy the band will be more that happy with Stereo Crush and there is enough variety between the tracks to maintain the interest of fans of both melodic and hard rock. An enduring presence, Gotthard deserve all the success that comes their way.
Stereo Crush is released on 21st March 2025.
Gotthard online
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