There’s a real art to making something like this feel worthwhile. A companion piece, a stopgap, extra songs from the last sessions — call it what you like, but “More Stereo Crush” works because Gotthard still understand the fundamentals of hard rock better than most. Hooks, melody, muscle and enough heart to stop it ever sounding routine. That’s the trick, really. Bands can do this sort of thing for decades and still not make it sound this natural.
“Right Now” gets things going in exactly the right way. It’s classy, crunchy and full of the sort of melody that Gotthard have long made sound effortless. “Ride The Wave” takes the pace down a notch and leans into something groovier and more bluesy, which suits them just fine. They’ve always known that hard rock doesn’t have to come at you full tilt to land a punch.
“Liverpool”, with Marc Storace along for the ride, has a proper rock ’n’ roll spirit about it too. It’s got swagger, warmth and the kind of feel that makes you think of open roads and not looking back. It’s one of those songs that sounds like it was always meant to be played loud.
Elsewhere, the EP works because it doesn’t sit in one place for too long. “Smiling In The Pouring Rain” is slower, stripped back and reflective, giving the record a more tender moment. Then “Snafu” changes the mood completely by getting right in your face. “Don’t Miss The Call” has a similar snarl to it, and there’s definitely something of that “Hey Stoopid”-era Alice Cooper feel in the way it struts. “Mayday” has real urgency too, all forward motion and sharp edges.
And then there’s “Burning Bridges – Radio Edit”, which closes things out with a power ballad that reminds you Gotthard have always known how to handle that side of their game as well. It’s polished, emotional and big without overdoing it.
What “More Stereo Crush” really does is remind you of the band’s strengths. They don’t chase trends, don’t overcomplicate things and don’t need to. They just write really strong songs and play them with conviction. For something that could easily have felt like an add-on, this has got plenty of life in it. More to the point, it sounds like a band who still know exactly who they are.
RATING 8/10
