We’ve been getting a record number of emails ever since we put a couple forwarding systems in place, and truthfully, things get lost in the mix pretty easily. Luckily, when we got the private stream for Gotho a few weeks ago, we wrote it down as soon within a few seconds of hearing it.
The Genoese duo confidently ‘throw some English’ on their ballsy debut, which dropped just a couple days ago. The cleverly dyslexic Mindbowling hits a true sweet spot between progressive metal, jazz, and math rock. There are some really cool extended rhythm breaks, blazing organ solos, and bass lines galore to be found here, and against all odds, it all stays relatively cohesive the entire time.
Check out one of the album’s most blazing cuts below, titled “Ilary Blastbeat.” The song’s goofy title is matched by frenetic, modulating keyboard leads and crazy drum layerings. We’re not sure if they count as blast beats, but we’re not sure if we care – they’re still a lot of fun.
“Ilary Blastbeat” is the shortest, most straightforward thing about Mindbowling, and though we think it’s a good representation of the album, don’t be fooled by it’s recklessness. There is a lot of depth to sink into with just about everything else here. At times, the record sounds a bit like a progressive rock video game fantasy, and even lands somewhere between an instrumental Between the Buried and Me and the latest stuff from Genghis Tron. It’s heady as hell, but never forgets it’s humor.
It’s hard to believe this is Gotho at their beginnings. We don’t know much about the band though, it’s possible these guys have cut their teeth in some other bands. Actually, we just looked at the press release (courtesy of Anubi Press) and it says the duo is composed of members of Dogs for Breakfast and Elder. So that makes a lot of sense, actually. What DOESN’T make sense, however, is that somehow, this album was recorded live. That’s just insane.
Check out the rest of the record here on the Gotho Bandcamp so you can see for yourself. If it’s even halfway true that this was recorded live, I’ll eat my hat… well, I’m not actually wearing a hat. I wouldn’t say that if I was, I have a sensitive stomach. Maybe they are just that good. Anyway, coming up we’ve got features on Polyphia, God Alone, and more, and if you’re absolutely rolling in it, you should buy us a coffee here. Either way, thanks for reading!