Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Gonoba
Released: 2006
Gonoba is another great Slovenian metal band that isn’t getting the attention it deserves. These guys have been around for a solid two years, and now we’ve got their second demo, and the first one with the new, current lineup. Just how productive they are shows in the fact that they put this demo together in under a year, and they’re already tirelessly writing new tunes.
This time around, Gonoba serves up six deadly tracks that explode like a perfectly aimed cannonball straight into your auditory center. The band’s heavy metal roots are buried; what we get now is hard-hitting thrash/death metal that might remind you most of the great Germans Dew-Scented (who, by the way, are coming to play here twice this summer). Full credit to the guys, too, for not bowing to the metalcore trend and going for real metal with balls. There isn’t exactly a lot of thrash/death metal on Slovenian soil, and the “holy trinity” of the genre here is Dusk Delight, Inmate, and yes, Gonoba.
Gonoba sat in the front row at school, listening and learning, and they took a lot away from the lessons in Bay Area thrash metal and punchy Florida or Swedish death metal. The formula for success is a fantastic blend of thrash’s melodicism and riffing with death metal’s punch and brutality. There’s just the right amount of everything, as the short intro proves, surprising with an excellent, bombastic rhythm section and sawing guitars that keep things dynamic with some very interesting riffs. You can’t accuse these guys of lacking technical chops. Quite the opposite! Oh yeah, this is going to burn!
Just so I’m not mistaken, the follow-up In Vain proves it. In this up-tempo track with excellent lead guitars and a proper drumming spectacle, Matic Babič’s vocals make their first appearance. It’s maybe the weakest part of the band, since the vocals aren’t fully defined yet. But when you find out Matic had never sung before Gonoba… hats off. Despite the flaws, Matic shows a whole spectrum of vocal techniques, from high screams to deep death metal growls. In Vain also introduces another fantastic side of the band, a killer solo that isn’t just technical showing off but a tastefully written piece of soloing.
Avalanche buries us under an avalanche of riffs and dynamic drumming, and its middle section recalls the golden era of Metallica with excellent thrash melodies. Mitja and Matjaž are a superb guitar duo. Of course I wouldn’t go so far as to crown them the next Holt/Hunolt (Exodus) or King/Hanneman (Slayer) duo, but they deliver intriguing and well-thought-out guitar lines. Last Judgment carries on in a similar vein, even more hard-hitting, with an excellent slower middle section and a singable, harmonic solo. Twisted also boasts excellent riffs and a tight rhythm section, with Rok’s hands and feet running over the drums like they’re greased, while Branimir pulls out interesting, dynamic bass lines.
The regular part of the record closes with the longest track on the demo, the band’s title track, Gonoba. A proper thrash assault with an excellent instrumental section! Once it wraps up, there’s still the goofy I’m In Pain to come.
Finally, it’s definitely worth mentioning the very solid production for a demo recording. If what I’ve written has made you conclude that I’m singing buddy-buddy praises, you’re badly mistaken… and you can see for yourself at any of Gonoba’s gigs. Let me close with the band’s motto – Gonoba till the grave!
Lineup
Matic Babič – vocals
Branimir Tkalec – bass guitar
Mitja Prelovšek – guitar
Matjaž Jurjevec – guitar
Rok Capuder – drums
Production
Gonoba
Track list
1. Intro
2. In Vain
3. Avalanche
4. Last Judgment
5. Twisted
6. Gonoba
7. I’m In Pain (bonus)
