Hoodoo Gurus – Chariot Of The Gods (Big Time)

Hoodoo Gurus come bursting out of the gates with their first new album in over a decade. With time off due to COVID, this chariot’s wheels are on fire!

Founding member Dave Faulkner has stated that the band, instead of celebrating its 40^th anniversary last year, experienced a “creative rebirth”.

Call it what you will, but the Gurus sound better than ever here with new-ish drummer Nik Rieth (Celibate Rifles, Radio Birdman) pounding those skins like there’s no tomorrow.

Opening with the sound of a crowd waiting for a show to begin (aren’t we all!), Rieth’s drums pound out a beat not dissimilar to Elvis Costello’s Pump It Up.

Let’s be upfront…Hoodoo Gurus are not reinventing the wheel here, they sound like they just want to rock out. And so they do.

Influences can be spotted on pretty much every track.

Is that the intro to Aerosmith’s Dream On I hear on Was I Supposed To Care?

Get Out Of Dodge sure reminds me of The Who’s Substitute.

And Hang With The Girls could be New York Dolls in their prime.

All this would be kind of annoying… one could simply listen to the originals…if there wasn’t so much energy and fun spewing from these tracks.

And if you really want to go full-on influences, buy the vinyl edition and pick up a couple bonus tracks…covers of Dylan’s Obviously Five Believers and The Beatles’ I Wanna Be Your Man.

Chariot Of The Gods is not an album to pour over, analyze and dissect…it was made to be played loud and played often.

Welcome back Hoodoo Gurus!

Marty Duda

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