Chariot of the Gods by Hoodoo Gurus Album Review

Chariot of the Gods by Hoodoo Gurus Album Review

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Posted 2022-03-18 by Steven Gfollow
Chariot of the Gods by Hoodoo Gurus – Album Review

It is always a pleasant surprise when an album I forgot I had pre-ordered turns up, and even more pleasant when that album is a good one. And so it was this week when there, sitting in my mailbox, was a parcel from JB HiFi (cheap plug!) and I now own:

Chariot of the Gods by Hoodoo Gurus (2022)


Some of the tracks go back a few years, but COVID has made things hard for everyone. This is their first album since 2010, and while I have not really kept up with all their releases, back in the 1980s, 1990s I thought they were great. I have seen them live three times (maybe more?) and their surf music inflected Aussie pub rock always got people moving.

The core of the band has been relatively stable for a while, even if Dave Faulkner (vocals/guitars) is the only original member. But Brad Shepherd (guitars/vocals) has been on board since the early days and Richard Grossman (bass) joined in the later 1980s, while newish drummer Nik Reith (ex-Radio Birdman) has been with the group since 2015.

Anyway, like a lot of albums I've reviewed this year (and there's been a few already), this shows that the lockdown measures that forced musicians (and, let's be serious, other artists) to work on the craft while they could not go out and tour or do other things is resulting in a lot of really strong music being produced. This is an album that feels like a nice throwback to the band's heyday, and yet it does not really sound dated. But, then again, that's the joy of pub rock.

So, let's look at the album.

'Early Opener' A minute-long "intro" track, starting with the sound of a pub before going into a guitar. The idea of this album is to be a relief, so I guess this is a mood setter.

'World Of Pain' A decent opener, with the rock sound the Gurus are known for pushing the track along at a decent clip. They have lost none of their step.

'Get Out Of Dodge' A song with a Western theme, but with music straight out of the pubs of Australia. The themes, though, are trying to live your life when surrounded by "people of hate" (I'm guessing a response to the Trump presidency), and putting such a strong message in such a fun way is so well done.

'Answered Prayers' There is a dirtier, bluesy-er sound to this track that would be so good in a pub setting. This song was apparently released as a single in 2019, and maybe that's why it sounds a little angrier than other tracks here, but that different emotion does make it stand out in a positive way.

'Was I Supposed To Care?' We slow down here, but it is not a ballad. This is just a slow rocker, and I say "just" but this is a track that stood out to me.

'Hang With The Girls A nice up-tempo song about parents worried their son might be gay. The song comes down on the side of the son, and this is an interesting look at the way the older generations still perceive the "roles" of boys and girls.

'My Imaginary Friend' This is another good rocker, and yet the lyrics are underlaid with a sense of depression. It is almost a sad song, except it bounces along with a pervasive acoustic guitar and the singing is what we've come to expect from the Gurus.

'Equinox' A fun track with the "Ba-baba-babababa" backing making it feel like the sort of song they released back in the 1980s. There is a hint of the surf music I always heard in them in their first few albums here, and it is welcome but not overdone.

'Chariots Of The Gods' Aliens coming to Earth and destroying humans and human pride being its downfall! In a song! It has been a long time since I've heard a good science fiction song. Of course, there are deeper messages beyond the alien invasion scenario, but I just really liked this track, and that spacey, trippy, 1960s-like guitar solo as well as the pounding, almost tribal drums are perfect for this.

'Carry On' A song of hope, of pushing through, with an up-tempo and uplifting feel. While this is ostensibly about recovering from the COVID restrictions (and maybe political issues), the lyrics enable it to be carried into other aspects of life, and if this isn't taken up by some group as an anthem of hope, I will be surprised.

'I Come From Your Future' This is a weird little song that just rocks out with some wild playing and weird lyrics. I really liked this one, and when I played the album on random, I found myself repeating this one. I can't tell you why, but it is one of my definite highlights.

'Don't Try To Save My Soul' Another song with a touch of anger about it, but in the end it's about accepting who you are, and then there's the obligatory rock and roll mentions. A deeper sounding track, and one that stuck with me.

'Settle Down' This sounds a lot like early Gurus though the guitars are a bit harder, and that is fine. A nice slightly slower track, and whistling that doesn't annoy !

'Got To Get You Out Of My Life' We finish off with a slow track that does not really fit in lyrically with the rest of the album, about getting rid of a partner. Still, it is a good track musically, just a weird way to finish this collection, that's all.
So, there we are – 14 tracks, around 50 minutes of play-time, not a bad song here. Without utilising modern recording sounds, and yet not relying on the past, the music has a timeless quality, the sort of songs – like much of their earlier output – that will still be able to be played and enjoyed by anyone in ten, 20, more years' time.

There is something about listening to a well-crafted rock album that really makes me feel better about things, so after Bryan Adams and Midnight Oil , with similar starting points to Hoodoo Gurus, also releasing some fine music this year, maybe it's those older, more mature heads giving us what we need.

That sounds pretentious, so I will leave you with this: This is a great album and I am glad the Hoodoo Gurus have decided to record some new music.

Another definite recommendation from me.


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83579 - 2023-06-11 06:43:19

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