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Gotthard: Stereo Crush
Gotthard - Stereo Crush Album Art

Gotthard: Stereo Crush

Melodic Hard Rock
5.0/5.0

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Reigning Phoenix Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.03.2025 | Released: 21.03.2025

Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and exports. Wherein, Gotthard has a huge fan base in Europe, Scandinavia, the UK, and South America. But not so much in my native America. Here's a little known, and sad, fact: Gotthard hasn't played a show on American soil since 1992 for a three night stand in Los Angeles. (Americans have always been fickle about their music interests; in this instance with the rise of grunge rock.)

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Gotthard

Now, the band returns with their latest and fourteenth long player, Stereo Crush, with new drummer Flavio Mezzodi in the crew. Guitarist Leo Lioni said of their recording imagination, "After so many years in a band, it's essential to keep the fire burning. This is the only way to carry the great legacy of the band with dignity into the future." Bass player Marc Lynn commented, "What I love about Stereo Crush is its versatility. It's fresh and punchy with aggressive sounds." Vocalist Nic Maeder adds, "At the same time, it's very musical and song-oriented: it's a very contemporary Gotthard album."


Speaking, then, to the new album, the sweeping genre generalization is, of course, classic melodic hard rock. However, Gotthard is also known, historically, for doing some genre bending. Certainly, there's some straight up rockers: Devil In The Moonlight, Thunder & Lightning, Dig A Little Deeper, and the melodic metal rocker AI & I which opens the album. But there's more.

Alternatively, Gotthard turns on their AOR groove with Burning Bridges, and the anthems These Are The Days and Life. Then it's back to some melodic hard rock only with power pop punch: Boom Boom and Shake Shake. Known for doing covers in the studio and live, Gotthard covers The Beatles' Drive My Car in hard rock fashion. Three songs later, with Liverpool, the band revisits the Fab Four's roots. Lynn and Maeder were right Stereo Crush is versatile, very musical, and song-oriented album. I think it's one of their best albums.

All in all, Gotthard's latest and fourteenth album, Stereo Crush finds the band creative, steady, and versatile, giving fans and listeners another platter of their genre-defying, and entertaining, classic melodic hard rock. Quite recommended.



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The Take Away

Gotthard's latest and fourteenth album, Stereo Crush finds the band creative, steady, and versatile, giving fans and listeners another platter of their genre-defying, and entertaining, classic melodic hard rock. Quite recommended.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.

Purchase Gotthard - Stereo Crush at Amazon
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