20. March 2025
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Media Review

Gotthard – Stereo Crush

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Gotthard - Stereo Crush

Gotthard - Stereo Crush
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Nice range from hard rock tracks to fine ballads
  • Good and catching writes

Flyctory.com Cons

  • A few weaker songs

Will Gotthard top the Swiss charts again? Based on an impressing streak by the Swiss hard rockers, this just feels like a no-brainer. Stereo Crush released on 21st March 2025 could become the thirteenth studio album to do so – in a row. I had to have a listen to this one, of course.

 

Gotthard – About The Artists

Gotthard are a Swiss hard rock band, originally from Lugano. They have been founded in 1989 as Krak and renamed to Gotthard in 1991. Guitarist Leo Leoni and bassist Marc Lynn are still active founding members. Legendary singer Steve Lee died in 2010 in a traffic accident in Nevada and had to be replaced by Nic Maender. The other band members are guitarist Freddy Scherer and drummer Flavio Mezzodi. Already with their self-titled debut album released in 1992, they reached the Top 5 in the Swiss charts and gained a platinum record. Any of the twelve Gotthard studio albums thereafter topped the domestic charts. The most successful one, with four platinum records, was the 2001 Homerun. They also have multiple Top 10 placements in Austria and Germany. The Homerun single release Heaven topped the Swiss singles charts and got a platinum record.

 

Gotthard – Stereo Crush – Track by Track

The twelve track album lasts 43 minutes.

1. AI & I

The song starts with a typical Gotthard song. The press kit quotes Nic Maeder with Leo really wanted to have this kind of
classic Gotthard riff in there, you know? I mean, he wanted that, that kind of sound. Indeed, the song feels familiar and is a comfortable, without feeling too much of a copy of an existing one. This leads to a promising initial experience.

2. Thunder & Lightning

The catchy melody of the song, especially in the chorus and pre-chorus, almost leads to some pop-alike ease and experience. We’re on the right side of wrong – I have to think about this part of the lyrics while listening to the remaining song The second song’s melody feels too striking.

3. Rusty Rose

This one is another single release of Stereo Crush. Rusty Rose starts very intense with harder rock and drumming section. Despite the harder and slightly darker style driven by marching guitar riffs, the song still has the typical ease of Gotthard songs. One key factor for that is the melodic straight chorus.

4. Burning Bridges

It is the struggle of many rock and hard rock bands: their most successful (and best) songs are not too rarely ballads. Burning Bridges starts with a fine piano theme. Even though the guitars join in soon, this one stays on the emotional side. And it is, indeed / unfortunately (depending on the perspective) one of the most present and catching songs of the album.

5. Drive My Car

When I scanned Stereo Crush for the first time, this one made me smile. Gotthard cover The Beatles. The Swiss 2025 version is obviously a bit harder and comes with a very present beat. But especially the chorus pays a lot of respect to the original as well. I love it.

6. Boom Boom

Boom Boom does not refer to any 1990’s Euro-pop song. In fact, Leo Leoni sampled the heartbeat when his wife was expecting their first child. My heart is going boom boom, boom boom, when I heard the news. A really creative, but also very fascinating write.

7. Life

Nic Maeder states in the press kit that the seventh song is about how incredible life could be if we were not all so stubborn. The second rather ballad-alike song on the album does deliver lovely emotions, but also comes with a very thoughtful character.

8. Liverpool

Liverpool is one of the most catching rock melodies on Stereo Crush. A song about good old days, let’s bring them back to life, which is having a lovely classic rock touch. The streets of Liverpool are thereby just mentioned in the very last verse of the song. Nice one.

9. Shake Shake

With Shake Shake, Gotthard go for a harder and darker song on their 2025 album. The song has an uplifting and motivating character and has been written to cheer up a friend who is in a struggling life situation. This song will also be a lot of fun on the upcoming tour.

10. Devil In The Moonlight

A dark bass line and guitar riffs kick off the Devil In The Moonlight. The song is a dark, fast hard rock’n’roller. The press kit states that the song was originally a significantly slower one. But I feel this final version of the track is just right. It is so much fun.

11. Dig A Little Deeper

After this song full of energy and fun, Dig A Little Deeper is a peace song in hard rock style. The rather dull mood of the song lights up significantly in and around the chorus, when Gotthard claim to Give peace a chance. Overall, the song is a nice write with some interesting melodic features. However, the song does not strike as well as others on the album.

12. These Are The Days

The first tunes you listen to at These Are The Days are from the harmonica. These are the days I think are the best, these are the days I’ll never forget. A typical “good old days” anthem – the Swiss band is doing that kind of song very well – a lovely listen.

 

Gotthard – Stereo Crush – Spotify

I will add the Spotify widget once the album has been published

 

Gotthard – Stereo Crush – My View

Dark songs, fun songs, ballad and rock crushers – Stereo Crush got them all. The new Gotthard album underlines why the band is that successful, not only in their home country. Thus, you also neglect the small weaker spots in there. I really enjoyed listening to their 2025 major release.

Favorite Song: Devil In The Moonlight

 

Gotthard – Stereo Crush Tour 2025

Kicking off in May 2025, Gotthard will be in tour, majorly focusing on Germany and Switzerland. The support act depends on the gig.

Tu 20.05.2025 Milan (Italy) – Alcatraz
We 21.05.2025 Saarbrücken (Germany) – Garage
Fr 23.05.2025 Bochum – RuhrCongress
Sa 24.05.2025 Geiselwind – Music Hall
So 25.05.2025 Frankfurt – Batschkapp
Tu 27.05.2025 Hamburg – Große Freiheit 36
Th 29.05.2025 Munich – Circus Krone
Fr 30.05.2025 Filderstadt – FILharmonie
Sa 31.05.2025 Telfs (Austria) – Rathaussaal
We 11.06.2025 Wolfhagen (Germany) – Kulturzelt
Sa 14.06.2025 Zamora (Spain) – Z! Live Rock
Fr 27.06.2025 Basel (Switzerland) – Summerstge
Sa 28.06.2025 Ehingen (Germany) – Marktplatz
Su 20.07.2025 Locarno (Switzerland) – Moon & Stars
Tu 22.07.2025 Regensburg (Germany) – Piazza im Gewerbepark
We 06.08.2025 Zofingen (Switzerland) – Hetere
Su 10.08.2025 Tettnang (Germany) – Schlossgarten
Fr 19.12.2025 Bern (Switzerland) – Festhalle
Sa 20.12.2025 Zurich / Dübendorf – The Hall

 

Swiss Music

Here are all music postings related to Switzerland:

 

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