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7.0
- Bands:
HANDS OF GORO - Duration: 00:35:54
- Available from: 04/26/2024
- Label:
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Nameless Grave Records
It’s time for another tantalizing classic metal debut: this is Hands Of Goro, made up of Adrian Maestas, longtime bassist of US heavy metal champions The Lord Weird Slough Feg, and Tom Draper, currently lead guitarist of Spirit Adrift as well as former live session musician for Carcass and Angel Witch, and by Avinash Mittur, drummer but also bassist in Nite and Wretched Stench.
If you are wondering if the name of the group is taken from the character of Mortal Kombat, well yes, that’s right, it is the monster with four arms from the very famous video game of the nineties, and this choice has the advantage of immediately giving a clear and precise idea of the proposal: we are essentially in fantasy territory, the influences of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal are evident, as are those of Slough Feg and Brocas Helm, and everything is in the name of the purest entertainment.
Adrian Maestas also takes care of the lead vocals here, assisted in the backing vocals by his two colleagues, and, for an instrumentalist who tries his hand behind the microphone, he is all in all credible and convincing, thanks to a sincere and light-hearted but never over the top singing, which not always obvious in these cases. The sound is dry and absolutely classic but not necessarily nostalgic; the skill of our band lies in being fresh and intriguing despite everything, as also happens for various groups that have emerged in recent years – including for example the local Tytus – which leads Hands Of Goro themselves to proclaim themselves standard bearers of the elusive ‘third wave of British heavy metal’. Draper’s guitars are interesting, not banal but not too convoluted, excellently complemented by an effective, compact and precise rhythm section. Also fascinating is the encounter between San Francisco metal, represented by Maestas and Mittur, and British metal embodied by Draper, from which classic American metal itself largely derives.
Formed in 2016, Hands Of Goro plan to record a couple of songs during the summer of 2021, at the end of the pandemic, but soon, in bringing old compositions back to life and jotting down new ideas, they realize they have enough material for a entire album of unreleased songs, albeit short (just thirty-six minutes) which is this eponymous debut. However, the reduced running time allows you to enjoy the album from start to finish, as it is all based on fast pieces that leave no room for boredom.
The spectrum of action, as already mentioned, goes from traditional metal to classic rock, passing through some punk paw, in an orgy of harmonized ferocity that can attract diehards of the retro sound with a pinch of original extravagance. The album, recorded in a dilapidated former naval base in the Bay Area and in the slums of San Francisco, was mixed by Mittur himself and then mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx Studios, and enjoys a rough live recording sound, as is rightly so for a product of this type. Christie Crapeticio, on the other hand, took care of the proudly vintage cover which is well suited to the proposal.
Tom Draper really does a great job in covering almost the entire spectrum of NWOBHM action with rhythms and solos; worth highlighting is the long guitar digression on the last piece “Archduke Of Fear”, which expands further in the live setting, quoting “Victim Of Changes” or “The Sinner” by Judas Priest. Adrian Maestas adds Slough Feg reminiscences with his swirling bass, but his vocal lines are not always unforgettable.
Avinash Mittur is authoritative behind the skins and his contribution is also decisive in building the trio’s engaging sound; finally, we also note the sporadic use of synthesizers mainly at the beginning and end of songs by Draper and Maestas, which give further color to the work.
Summing up, we have an album that is pleasant to listen to, in which it is fun to find the various NWOBHM influences, primarily Thin Lizzy, Diamond Head, Raven and Venom, and which can strike a chord with the hearts of the most seasoned fans and anyone. you seek in these sounds above all the ability to entertain without further artistic or authorial ambitions.
