CRUSHER Magazine: punk/metal/hardcore/industrial: Review: Goro

----Eric V. White

(editor's note: I saw these guys open for Animal recently. Man, did they shred. The original bassist of Goro was once a member of both Japanese metalligods Loudness and E-Z-O, and although he is no longer in the group, if you know the kind of music those two bands did, then you have a pretty close approximation to the sound of Goro. I don't agree with this review in the least. These guys rule, so check them out...)

	GORO SLAVEMASTER UNSIGNED	LINKS: geocities.com/madmandisease/iloveyou
	New York-based Japanese heavy metal band Goro can be summed up in one word: ambitious. After years of in-fighting and several line-up changes, they have finally managed to scrape together the four-song Slavemaster EP. It’s not the best work around, but it captures the band’s exuberance. “Love Slave” is a four-minute, no frills rock song. Nothing stellar, but it’s got a pretty catchy 1980s, pop-metal vibe to it. You know, the big, airy riffs. The cheesy, semi-operatic vocals. But you can tell the guys from Goro are serious about what they do. The lead guitar solo is nothing short of masterful axeman-ship.
“The Louder” is a better arranged song than the intro track that’s got some funky grooves, but it’s starving for the technical complexity of “Love Slave”. The vocals work, but they could be clearer; between lead singer Goro’s accent and the recording’s quality -- the song sounds as if it was recorded live – some segments are undecipherable. I love the axe-work. The solo is a perfect match for the song. Goro is not the most creative guitarist, but something can be said about his precision. “Urban Cowboy” is another solid song. They’ve got a great riff that they surround with classic rock vocals and steady drum-work. Lyrically, things could improve, though. Many of Goro’s lyrics are devoid of substance and rely too heavily on clichés. It’s a setback for a vocalist with such a good voice. The last track, “Ready To Die” is a great song with which to lead out. There are a lot of layers to work with here and the band manages to weave them together well. A great chunky riff anchors everything, but well-arranged rhythm bursts save the song from sinking with Goro’s impassioned vocals helping it stay a straight course. All in all, Slavemaster is a decent offering, considering Goro is a band that probably doesn’t have a huge budget or access to great equipment. As far as their sound, it’s lounge rock n’ roll. It rocks, but it’s cheesy enough where it would never land them a deal with a major company. It’s apparent from this EP that they enjoy what they do though.
----Eric V. White (editor's note: I saw these guys open for Animal recently. Man, did they shred. The original bassist of Goro was once a member of both Japanese metalligods Loudness and E-Z-O, and although he is no longer in the group, if you know the kind of music those two bands did, then you have a pretty close approximation to the sound of Goro. I don't agree with this review in the least. These guys rule, so check them out...)