The Goners - Good Mourning

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THE GONERS (2019) are a Riding Easy Records punk proto-metal garage rock band which rose from the cauldron of now-roached SALEM’S POT and YVONNE. They post up from Eskilstuna, Sweden and mates, these Nordic bands just may be saving rock music. Track #1 “Are You Gone Yet” starts with clanging guitars and metalesque guitar riffing sans the searing distortion and aggression found in classic and nu-metal. When Nate starts singing, the musical about face on ‘GOOD MOURNING’ is apparent … this is one different band that you don’t hear often or even at all lately … pop without the sugar, garage without the anti-virtuoso attitude, metal without the Marshall stacks and a distinct Thorazine shuffle in Nate’s vocal delivery backed by Grave Dave’s slippery guitar entreaties.

“High, Low and Never In Between” track #2 trots out a gore-punk groove and lyrics to match – listen close. “World of Decay” is the lead single with snotty proto-metal guitar on the verses and cool cat jiving guitar refrains that boomerangs around and into the similar rhythm of “Evil (Is Not Enough). The cool cat jive guitar continues on the tale of heartbreak “Good Ol’ Death”. “Down Out” rocks it up with some clanging grooves and driving, beagle-on-cottontail circling song bridges before ending with an IRON MAIDEN style rave-out ¡! “You Better Run” is a pounder with a not-quite-skate metal head bob interlude in the middle and ending.

The last song “Dead in the Saddle (Dead Moon)” is about 5 minutes of cinematic geetar Riff-O-Mania. I was initially not a fan of the vocal mix on this disc as the songs’ modulated vocal effect on top of what sounds like gang-shouted vocals scrambles Nate’s Scandinavian Johnny Rotten stylings. But the avant-garde novelty of this approach slowly appeals and would stage a full charm ambush if the mix dynamics were not so vanilla creamed. The guitars are peaking, intricate and catchy with some spaghetti western and Dick Dale surfcaster shoutouts along with some snotty guitar licks.

Surprisingly, these songs have an almost musical show quality to them. “The Little Blue” could have been performed on the musical stage of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. These lads are as original as you get in these post-rock days with sonic cues from THE B-52’s, THE STOOGES, PUNK FLOYD and the sonics of any number of 60’s garage rock bands, but they are more than that. I don’t know of anybody taking big steps these days like THE GONERS have taken on ‘GOOD MOURNING’. I would like to see them live to see how they handle the performance sound delivery of these songs. Crackin’ job, mates.

Dig it … my Spotify playlist which includes reviewed bands.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/272H3UBARsuksY3BqU0CzP?si=PKQSyUNCTDumFTefJzvTCA

Songwriting: 9
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 7
Production: 8