On a day when a NASCAR-themed album hits the mean streets, why shouldn’t we cover a kinda-sorta Mortal Kombat-themed throwback metal opus by members of Slough Feg, Spirit Adrift, and Angel Witch. Hands of Goro is a project playing a style that the members refer to as the “Third Wave of British Heavy Metal.” That’s a fancy-pantsy name for what is essentially the classic NWoBHM sound being unearthed anew in 2024, and that basic NWoBHM template composes the core of what the band delivers on Hands of Goro. It’s a charmingly retro blend of hard rock, punk, and early-days metal combining for some energetic, exuberant fare with a whole lot of old school flair. Will that be enough to earn a flawless victory? Will Lord Goro reign supreme? FIGHT!
As opener “Prince of Shoka” kicks into life, you get flavors of early Diamond Head, Thin Lizzy and even Foghat. It’s that classic template of hard rock taken up a notch or 3 to transmogrify it into heavy metal and it works well thanks to the major guitar acumen of Tom Draper (Sprit Adrift, ex-Angel Witch, ex-Carcass) and the stellar bass-work of Adrian Maestas (Slough Feg) which feels very vintage, wrapping a punky, rowdy Mötörhead-friendly vibe into the beef salad. This rough, slapdash approach pays big dividends on the hyperactive charge of “Demonizer” which carries a bit of a Nucleus-era Dawnbringer feel. The frantic riffing and solos make this one tough to resist and Maestas outdoes himself with some wild vocals and wails. “Uncanny” is like a shotgun marriage between Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy and Focus with Lemmy on vocals, so you know that’s an easy win you need to play at 12.
Elsewhere, “21st Century Plague” injects more Motörhead mania with slight but effective touches of black metal, and the pièce de résistance comes with 6-plus minute closer “Archduke of Fear,” which channels all the rowdy, riffy charm of vintage Raven crossed with the stadium rock sensibilities of Scorpions for a hard-charging good time. At a shockingly fast-moving 36 minutes, there’s not much chaff to sift out and every song has its own charm and moments of “FUCK YEAH!” guitar heroics. I love the charmingly retro production which often sounds warm and organic like the old Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy albums.
This is a highly talented trio, with tons of road experience under their bullet belts. Tom Draper puts on a crazed clinic on 70s and 80s rock, punk, and metal riffology, crafting many fist-raising, headbanging moments along the way. He has a keen ear for riffs that stick and there are many moments when his playing elicited a smile and unstoppable air guitar noodling. His infectious fretboard romps alone are worth the investment in this thing. Maestas is right there with Draper the whole time, sitting in the bass pocket rumbling and clanging along in fine fashion, giving everything a deep, funky edge. His particular style of playing does make the material sound a bit like Slough Feg, but that’s a bonus. Maestas also handles lead vocals and if there is a weak point, it’s here. His delivery is fine for the rough, rocking style the band plays, but no one will consider him a vocal powerhouse. He reminds me of a less proficient Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits) mixed with Raven’s John Gallagher and though he certainly hits the mark on the faster tracks, he can seem a bit rough around the edges on the slower cuts. Behind it all we have Avinash Mittur (Nite, Wretched Stench) tearing it up on the kit like a raving maniac. There’s no way to listen to this guy’s gonzo percussive assault and not feel yourself getting amped up and edgy. The trio plays in a loose, punky style which gives everything a live feel and that suits the hard rocking material to its bones. Anything more polished would do this stuff an injustice.
Much like the High Spirits output, Hands of Goro is so damn throwback that you might bust a shoulder joint listening to it, but boy is their style good fun. It’s simple in design but big in entertainment factor and it has an endearingly sincere feeling that comes from how much those involved love this style of music. It may not be the kind of album that people will be talking about come end-of-year lists, but I suspect it will get a nice little following by those who were born after 1960. Regardless of age, take a flyer on it and get your elder rock on. Hail our new many-fisted overlord. WAR GORO.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: BSP Records
Websites: handsofgoro.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thehandsofgoro
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024
