Gotthard
Firebirth

Daunting is the task that befalls me in having to review the new album by Gotthard (I am even the first to have such an honor or misfortune, interpret it as you wish), this sort of "rebirth of fire!".

But is this "Firebirth" really a resurgence of their classic American and European hard rock style? Are we truly witnessing a new battle cry akin to "Dial Hard" (their finest work, 1994) or "G." (1996), with the aim of fully recovering from a fundamental loss, such as that of former vocalist Steve Lee, who tragically died in America in a motorcycle accident in early October 2010?

Well, life goes on, as reasoned by the four Swiss led by Leo Leoni (guitarist), and here we are: a year and a half has passed since the fatal accident. There were many uncertainties regarding whether the band would continue or not, and in the end, they decided to push forward: with the Australian Nic Maeder, whose voice closely resembles Steve's, more subdued in some ways but also very versatile and passionate. A choice that is certainly not the most original, to be honest, but it's quite effective.

In any case, before I start listing the positive and also the painful notes, I wanted to express my personal, non-impartial opinion, which seeks to be merely a small off-screen voice and absolutely does not intend to influence this review, but especially this decent but certainly not exhilarating new Gotthard: if they had continued under a different name, it would have been better. For me, Steve Lee was like a kind of Freddie Mercury: truly irreplaceable, and our four Swiss friends from the canton of Ticino, despite everything, perhaps thought he wasn't irreplaceable! I, on the other hand, have exactly the opposite feeling, like many others, but I repeat: the band is certainly not mine, and anyway, if I'm here to review their latest effort, there's a reason.

This reason is precisely Nic Maeder, the new singer! Yes, you read that right! What convinced me more than anything and everyone else was him, his grit and simplicity, as well as the passion he injected into a stalled engine like the new "Firebirth": just to make this record sound good, Nic gave it his all, and it shows! The truly absurd thing this time is precisely the songs, which (often) fall into banality and the "already heard many times before".

Calm and cold blood: it was really hard to do better than "Need To Believe" (2009), the last album with Steve and decidedly one of their best albums since "G."! So, the weight that Nic and the remaining "clockmakers" had to carry wasn't a small matter, and I can't bring myself to completely dismiss them despite there being, on more than one occasion, the effect of Bonomelli flower chamomile tea!

In fact, "Starlight" with that "Turururù" is rather annoying and banal, and as an opener, it's not that great. It's much better with the rhythmic "Give Me Real," equipped with a good refrain, but then comes the big ballad that everyone knows by now, a Gotthard trademark at 200%, "Remember It's Me" with fake violins obtained from the Bontempi keyboard! Well, if it were the only one, it wouldn't even be bad, too bad that you have to put up with at least three or four more songs like it among the 13 tracks! I'm talking about the two insignificant "Tell Me" and "Shine," a sort of Z-sides for Tesla, good if you have insomnia, that's for sure! A special mention goes to "Where Are You," which has much more soul, being dedicated to the late Steve Lee, with a (finally) more substantial text. Oops, I forgot to mention the addition of a semi-ballad (making it 5 slow songs out of 13, I want to strangle them!) titled "Take It All Back". Nothing exceptional even in this case, but listenable, though.

Talking about smoking hard rock, "Fight" and "Yippie Aye Yay" are quite charming, even though they come with third-grade-level lyrics, similar to the very successful "Right On" and "I Can," which really manage to surprise and make us (hallelujah!) rock our tired behinds. Completely out of balance, on the other hand, are "The Story's Over" and "S.O.S.," which, although they start well, lose themselves significantly in nothingness.

We've reached the end, oh yes. Disappointed? Well, I could understand if you are. Overall, I don't feel like trashing it completely. It's true I preferred the latest from Trixter (a real bomb that I will review soon), but that's another story. It's not a masterpiece, and surely Gotthard will have to work better, but not for Nic, who has now fully settled in, just in composing more convincing material as a whole. We'll see in two or three years how things will go. For now, their "rebirth of fire" burns partially, but I presume they will roast us in the future, if it's true that they still call themselves Gotthard!