Establishing themselves under this recently modified Gomorra moniker for their 2020 Divine Judgement album, this Swiss group’s history reaches back to the mid-90’s as The Gonorrheas. Confident in the style development to date, Dealer of Souls as a follow up aims to expand horizons under the power/heavy metal meets thrash umbrella through these ten main tracks (plus short “Reflection of Souls” instrumental intro). It’s a case of using talent in putting your best foot forward – positioning themselves as a solid unit with equal presence in the past as well as present movements of the genre.
The semi-tremolo licks and power riff foundation to “War of Control” allows singer Jonas Ambühl ample chances for conveying his sinister, melodic range beyond his Halford-esque eagle call screams when choosing to go full force in that department. Each musician gets opportunities to flex their abilities at their craft within the proper context of the songs. The flashy kit work of Stefan Hösli sits front and center during the energetic “A Chance for the Better”. The heads down crunchy riffing plus blitzkrieg soloing/ tasteful harmony spots between guitarists Damir Eskic and Dominic Blum provide the mainframe on the gallop-oriented Overkill meets Judas Priest-esque “Dealer”. While the thoughtful bottom end bass parts from Arman Hadzic keep the mood somber as well as reflective during the Savatage-like “Lost in Darkness”. Burning Witches singer Laura Guldemond adds her expressive voice and viciousness in duet form for “Stand United” – a steady Gomorra anthem that has that ‘all for one’/Manowar-type charm where you can feel the audience championing the meaty mid-tempo musical parts beyond the call to arms lyrics. This band continuously explore the parameters of melodic heavy/power metal, not necessarily going for the speed or intensity versus memorable hooks and grooves – captured by V.O. Pulver in his masterful ways.
Gomorra is one of those bands that may not necessarily drop jaws on first listen – but they will get you headbanging along, and that’s key to cementing themselves into a permanent spot in your playlists or record collections. Dealer of Souls brings the energy and diversity to the table necessary for the band to grab the attention of power, traditional, and thrash listeners.