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<\/a>2018 is the year that a new Gospel is bestowed upon the world, ‘The Gospel According to Thomas’. This is the long-awaited full length from Thomas Silver. You may recognise that name from his days delivering the riffs with Swedish sleaze gods Hardcore Superstar. Thomas parted ways with the band in 2007 after the awesome Dreamin\u2019 in a Casket album. Over the last 11 years, he has teased new music a few times but finally, the news drops that it\u2019s time for an album. Silver is back, and he\u2019s got some preaching to do.<\/p>\nHardcore Superstar was one of my biggest influences growing up as a musician and a person. I always loved Silver\u2019s playing and I\u2019ve certainly been hoping for years that one day he would come crashing back onto the stage. Time to strap in, it\u2019s time to listen to the sermon.<\/p>\n
‘Caught Between Worlds’<\/strong> kicks off proceedings. The guitar tone, the rhythmic and bouncy riffs\u2026 I\u2019m back in 2005 and I am loving it. This song feels like a natural place to pick up from an 11-year break. This is vintage Hardcore Superstar, but with a more mature edge. Big choruses, big riffs, and big hooks, what a way to start an album.<\/p>\n ‘Public Eye’<\/strong> is track number two and there\u2019s certainly no resting just yet. We\u2019re straight in with a big, head bobbing verse before launching into quite possibly the best chorus hook I\u2019ve heard in 2018. There was a feeling that Silver\u2019s playing created inside me when I spent countless hours trying to learn riffs from their self-titled album and its follow up Dreamin\u2019 In A Casket, two tracks in and this album has transported me to that moment again.<\/p>\n ‘Minor Swing’<\/strong> keeps the tempo up with it\u2019s short, stabbing groove and huge backing vocals. You cannot help but nod your head to this. This banger is short and sweet, before we drop the tempo into D-Day<\/strong>, with it\u2019s clean, sparkling guitars coupled with moody vocals which instantly remind me of the 69 Eyes. The chorus is full of that bombastic, Helskini gothic groove that the 69 Eyes pioneered but with the streetwise attitude of Gothenburg. The mid-section even bears a slight resemblance to an Iron Maiden style section with some driving riffs, soaring solos and harmonized guitars.<\/p>\n ‘Coming In, Going Under’<\/strong> kicks things back into gear with its driving punk riffs and infectious melodies. I\u2019m a sucker for a dramatic pause in any song, this song has plenty to keep me happy. ‘Time Stands Still’<\/strong> has anthem written all over it. This is the type of song that just demands a room full of people waving their arms and singing along. I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say the number of guitar harmonies on this album hadn\u2019t been exciting me and we\u2019re only halfway through!<\/p>\n ‘Bury The Past’<\/strong> is a song that anyone who has closely followed Silver\u2019s career over the last decade should be familiar with. It was released as a single back in October 2015. Upon hearing this for the first time three years ago, I was extremely excited, was this marking the comeback of Silver? Unfortunately, at that time, the album didn\u2019t materialize, but as they say, good things come to those who wait. We\u2019ve waited, and Thomas has delivered.<\/p>\n Then we launch into ‘On A Night Like This’,<\/strong> but what\u2019s that? Horns? I always think rock and roll musicians should be more receptive to experimenting with other instruments. The horns perfectly outline the 80\u2019s rock swagger of the songs main riff and chorus.<\/p>\n ‘Mean Town’<\/strong> makes me think of some tracks Silver wrote with HCSS over their first few albums. A combination of pop sensibilities, cleaner guitars and big choruses. For me, the song really takes off when the guitar solo kicks in. The next track, ‘Not Invited’<\/strong>, follows suit with its cleaner guitars and catchy hooks. I\u2019m getting a slight Hanoi Rocks vibe from this track which is certainly nothing to turn your nose up at.<\/p>\n ‘All Those Crazy Dreams’<\/strong> brings the album to a close, the first verse has only just begun, and I know this is going to be a fist in the air, anthemic singalong. It references dreaming about being a rock and roll star, we\u2019ve all been there. The song chronicles the rise of a band from a teenage dream to the big stage. What a ride and what a story.<\/p>\n 11 years of waiting has provided 11 tracks of pure gold. I for one have missed the sound of Silver\u2019s guitar playing. Was it worth the wait? You bet it was. If this is the gospel, I\u2019ve seen the light. Let\u2019s hope the next gospel isn\u2019t far behind. It\u2019s time to rejoice.<\/p>\n Released 23\/11 & 21\/11 in Japan<\/p>\n