Gorelem - Gorelem III

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Berlin is on my list of Happenin’ Music Scene Cities to visit, and Berlin is where knuckle dragging groove shufflers GORELEM (2013) can be found.  This eight song Gorelem III release follows the earlier Gorelem Part II also from 2019. These lads are planted in the same musical camp as Crobar and Motörhead with a dose of Suicidal Tendencies groove metal, but the riffin’ solid kraut metal variety. These Berlin cats are all about the groove and they are wearing these aforementioned influences on their sleeves … with a surprise.

Matt Raven the drummer gets a shout out right here and now – he keeps these songs swinging through a journey over drum riff mountain. “Intro” at one minute and 33 seconds comes a-knockin chip chopping metal and lets you know what is in the bunk house.  Track two “Erection”– yep, that’s the name of the song – strokes the groove and ponders the age old question of just what that thang is used for. “Rebel by Fate” gives us a German language lesson and a taste of Lemmy-style (do I need to include Kilmeister?) bass interlude. I am diggin’ this release as there is nothing to figure out here… it pounds you along without inducing metal cephalgia.

“Whiskey and Weed” hands us some feel-good hit dope anthem dirge kept aloft and hitting above the belt by drummer Matt. After a mood altering intro, “We Don’t Care” manages the hat trick of conjuring up some of the groove of “We Care Alot” by Faith No More but with some cheeky lyrics. Ok kids, I mentioned a surprise earlier in this review. "Anybody that includes a cover on their song list had better one. knock it out of the park or two. put it through the cut-up rearranger machine or three. get a one time license to copy the song, never to be granted again from the Bureau of Rockin’ Roll.

Gorelem took road #two on Motörhead’s “The Ace of Spades” with a DOOM-ed out version that loses the methed up metal of the original and gives you an alternate experience of Motörhead-dom. Motörhead-doom? Whatevuh, it is cool and beats the snakes out for the finale of Gorelem III . Hats off to you, Gorelem.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 9
Production: 9