Review: Gotho ‘Gothron Versus Fartark’
Admit, you chuckled like the silly inner juvenile that you are at the name ‘Fartark’. The aforementioned name belongs to one of two robotic beings battling for the survival of their respective worlds. Think of a Transformers death match backed by some seriously whacked out instrumental prog.
Italian two-piece Gotho have returned to provide the soundtrack to this titanic cybernetic clash with a dizzying array of vocoder, octave pedals and a decent dose of ‘70s inspired weirdness. Gothron Versus Fartark is their latest opus, released on Supernatural Cat. Strap into your mechanized harness and buckle up tight, because this is going to be one wild ride.
An abrasive futuristic/militaristic march starts us off with Gothron Ars, Gothron Ars Eem (Gothron Rise, Gothron Rise Now!). While stylistically different, I couldn’t help but notice some slight cinematic similarity to Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats’ Nell’ Ora Blu, which I reviewed earlier this year. But while that record brings to mind sexy Giallo and Italian crime thrillers, this crazy piece of synthesizer assault immediately makes me think of the many wonderfully campy Italian sci-fi films that often followed in the wake of American blockbusters, with perhaps a bit of reference to the Japanese Mecha genre.
The staccato barrage gives way to a heavy synth groove, somewhat reminiscent of Rush’s ‘80s period. You can picture the mighty robot rearing up and ready to deal out some metal fists. Crossing The Wormhole is an upwelling of energy that feels like Zombi channeling Kraftwerk, while First Fight In Planet Disco Dance does offer a tasty disco beat but is so driving, it would probably scare your average coked out disco dancer off the dance floor.
Think of a Transformers death match backed by some seriously whacked out instrumental prog…
The verbal mouthful of a track Mystical Training In Bothron Lamarovna’s Cave starts as a more meditative piece in the style of Goblin but then kicks things up a notch, likely emulating the intense martial training a massive alien robot needs to undergo before a title brawl. We return to Planet Disco for Second Fight In Planet Disco Dance, and it’s still too scary and belligerent for the disco crowd. Fabio Cuomo on synthesizers and electric piano maintains a thick and beefy keys presence that rivals the heaviest stoner guitar while drummer Andrea Perrachia lays down a frenetic percussive riptide that deftly moves in and out of the overwhelming sonic wallop.
Things take a slightly gentle and jazzy turn with Celebration Of Gothron’s Power Playing The Space-Noir-Trumpet but with a noticeable air of menace. Re-Crossing The Wormhole Using A Little Quantic Drum followed by the triumphant battle hymn Gothron Armsten! ( Let’s Bow To Gothron’s Power!) closes out the record, leading me to believe that our dear Fartark didn’t come out victorious in this epic clash.
Manic, unrelenting, frightening and fun, Gotho really put their dual talents to work on this crazy slab of space born martial music. If you enjoy Zombi but are looking for something a bit more psychotic than your average synthy vaporwave fair, Gothron Versus Fartark is one audio experience you aren’t likely to forget. Now they just need to contact an anime studio to provide some visuals to go with this record!
Label: Supernatural Cat
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Rob Walsh
