Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Gonoba
Label: On Parole Productions
Release: numbers
Length: 42:00
Rating: 5/5
It’s been a good year since we were shedding camel tears over the early retirement of death/thrash metal outfit Gonoba. At the end of 2011, the local metal scene was left heartbroken by the sudden, out-of-nowhere news that one of our best and most visible metal bands had decided to pack up their humps. But that year-plus of inactivity was thankfully just the calm before the storm and the camel stampede! Enough camel analogies – wait, scratch that, one more: »camel« metallers Gonoba are returning from the dead in grand style with their new record Endless Cycles!
After the release of the excellent debut Chains of Ignorance (2009), Gonoba undoubtedly had an incredibly tough job living up to the reputation of that first album. Even though the band has shown steady progress ever since their first demo in 2006, I had my doubts about whether they’d pull it off again. The first single Extermination Protocol squashed those worries pretty successfully, but a nagging question remained: could Endless Cycles actually top its predecessor? That lasted right up until the first spin of the album, which tramples you like the hooves of a herd of rabid camels, tears you apart in every direction like a sandstorm and strips you to the bone like a swarm of locusts!
Gonoba remains firmly anchored in death/thrash metal, but this time they’ve pushed it so far that it’s easy to slap the word technical on it too. On top of that, the band has gone for a somewhat more modern approach, with plenty of new school (extreme) metal elements in the music. Production-wise, Endless Cycles sounds fresh and crystal clear, and above all that rich, mighty sound rattles you to the bone, no joke. So do a few sparingly used breakdown patterns, which show up mostly in the title track and, luckily, fit nicely into the concept of the new record, adding the modern freshness mentioned above. The guys definitely don’t overdo the »core« elements, though, and stay true to the aggressive sound of death and thrash metal. From that standpoint Endless Cycles is a huge step up from the debut – the guitar work is far more polished and runs mainly on strong, well-thought-out riffs that don’t lean too hard on »naive« melody.
That melody was at times maybe the debut’s biggest flaw, so it’s great to hear that the guitar lines are exactly where the band has progressed the most. Most of the credit probably goes to the arrival of the »mastermind« of the sadly long-defunct Crossbreed, Grega Kamenšek, who was already wowing people with his »Annihilator-esque« virtuoso playing back when his home band was active. With his help, the combined result of crushing drumming, rattling bass and stunning riffing/soloing in Gonoba is downright unbelievable! But if anything, nobody could ever accuse Gonoba of lacking technical chops. On the new record the guys pair their command of their instruments with a masterful feel for songwriting. A fine example is the almost eight-minute epic Rational Conclusions, marked not just by the ups and downs of a camel’s back but also by an exceptional, atmospheric acoustic intermezzo and a bombastic explosion with breathtaking solo excursions. And the closing quote from Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) can only be »food for thought!«
But probably Gonoba’s biggest trademark remains the fantastic bass lines. This time they aren’t as prominent as on the debut and are better balanced with the guitars, but to my great delight they prove once again that Slovenian metal has nothing to match them. Branimir Tkalec teamed up with Rok Capuder’s dynamic, cannon-like drumming is without a doubt one of the best rhythm sections around here, and the unhinged bass-drum interplay in Blame Game is more than obvious proof. The complexity and technicality of the songs gets pushed to a new level by the tightly synced guitar duo of Kamenšek and Mitja Prelovšek. With its melodic approach and infectious harmonies, the band at times recalls the best moments of Canada’s Quo Vadis (for example Between the Lies, partly thanks to the spoken part). The spotlight also falls on the raw vocals of Matic »Hopsy« Babič, which on the debut, despite all the effort, could sound a little monotonous. There’s not a trace of that »flaw« on Endless Cycles either; Hopsy’s vocals are devilishly varied and dynamic, brutal and aggressive, and at times (Camel Metal) his thrashy delivery faintly recalls Chuck Billy in his more brutal days.
Gonoba couldn’t have picked a more fitting title for the new record. Not only does it suit the times, it’s also the perfect description of the feeling that lingers after the last track, Camel Metal, ends. All that can follow is one more repeat – one more cycle – of the album from the start. And then again and again and again. The rational conclusion can only be that Endless Cycles is the cream of the Slovenian metal crop and a living reminder of why we missed camel metal so much. Don’t forget, Gonoba will premiere the album at a “release party” on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at Gromka in Ljubljana!
Lineup
Branimir Tkalec – bass
Mitja Prelovšek – guitar
Rok Capuder – drums
Grega Kamenšek – guitar
Matic Babič – vocals
Production
Gonoba & Domen “Dyz” Justin
Tracklist
1. Inevitable
2. Awareness
3. Between the Lies
4. As Bridges Fall
5. Endless Cycles
6. Extermination Protocol
7. Existence Denied
8. Blame Game
9. Rational Conclusions
10. Camel Metal
