<p><span><span>- The Hoodoo Gurus have been an integral part of the Australian music scene for close to forty years now and while having a broad appeal across all levels of our society, they never stray far from their influences or waver from their pursuit of the perfect pop song, which they seem to achieve more often than not. That is certainly the case with their latest offering, <em>Chariot of the Gods</em>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>While they have no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves, the new album is packed to the gills with driving, punchy tunes that have that unmistakable Gurus stamp, and a couple of covers of their favourite songs by <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> and <strong>The Beatles</strong>, which fill out what became a double album on vinyl. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Recorded during lockdown the band had plenty of their own songs to unleash upon the music loving public, and with <strong>Dave Faulkner</strong>'s inimitable story telling skills there’s a little something for everyone, with some important messages for us all, told in his pitch perfect voice. The record traverses gender roles, lost friendships, current global issues that affect us all and those personal things that we all go through at some point.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The album opens with the sounds of glasses clinking, chatter and music playing in the background, the unmistakable atmosphere of bars and music venues that any lover of live music has missed over the last two years or so. Then it kicks straight into the glam rock stomp of <em>World of Pain</em>, turning it into a one-two-punch with <em>Straight Outta Dodge</em>, which weirdly reminds me of <strong>The Who</strong> and <strong>The Bangles</strong> at the same time. Then there's <em>Answered Prayers</em> which was one of the earliest singles to be released -before most of the rest of the album was finished- with a menacing edge, tinged with frustration and eagerness to get things happening.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><em>Was I Supposed to Care</em> is a power ballad that smacks of early <strong>Aerosmith</strong>, and the latest single <em>I Come From Your Future</em> (which features guitarist <strong>Brad Shepherd</strong> singing lead) is a rollicking tune that’ll get everyone jumping up and down at the HG's fast-approaching gigs, coming up in April.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Basically, this album is an absolute cracker. There's something for everyone here, from a band that rarely, if ever, put a foot wrong.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Judy Jetson.</span></span></p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z2Mpt1eLfo8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>