Ralph has been a Fat Goth fan since first writing about them nearly five years ago (where does the time go) after catching them via the good offices of A Badge Of Friendship and hearing them via Vic Galloway on't radio.
A year later and Fat Goth donated their track Creepy Lounge from their album STUD to the Ralph's Life CD to raise funds and awareness for the mental health charity Rethink (still available, just click here).
Ralph has kept a close eye on Fat Goth ever since, whether it be when they were nominated for the Scottish Alternative Music Award for Best Rock Act or the release of their third album One Hundred Percent Suave two years ago.
Photo courtesy of Michael Lambert Photography
The good news is they've just dropped (no wonder as it's so heavy) their latest album Enorme! to no small amount of critical acclaim and Ralph has had a wee shufty. It sees Fat Goth with their communal tongue still firmly embedded in cheek, however it also sees them reach the point where they will actually become not just Dundee but Scotland's best loved rock band.The common factor between all of their albums has been the fact that when you're listening to them, you can tell they've enjoyed writing and recording them as they are all imbued with their well documented sense of humor and afore-mentioned tongue in cheek.
The most marked difference with the latest offering Enorme! is that it sees Fat Goth become proper grown-ups playing proper rock music. It's gloriously imbued with the essence of Budgie and Black Sabbath, with their own unique sound the catalyst for rock greatness.
They'll be playing XpoNorth again this year as well as a number of Scottish dates in support of the launch of Enorme! on May 5th. My advice, go get the album and catch them live if you can. It's going to be Enorme!-ous and Ralph's playing Thoroughbread on the Radio KC Indie Show on Sunday May 14th from 5-7pm.
Frontman, vocalist and guitarist Fraser Stewart describes Enorme! as their “angriest” effort yet, as Fat Goth’s ire has turned to the political and social cluster fuck we currently all find ourselves in.
“We live in a world where sociopolitical discourse, injustice and prejudices are rife and appear to increase on a daily basis, resulting in such dire circumstances becoming ‘the norm’ and subsequent headlines being met with continual indifference and fatigue.”
Fraser further explains.
“Thanks to social media, we all have a platform where we can spout our outrage and condemn the things we see as wrong, but when everyone is doing the exact same and simply preaching to their respective choirs, there is no debate, no engagement and ultimately no resolve. We fight amongst ourselves allowing hatred and ignorance to cloud our judgment while those responsible continue to fly high and way out of reach of significant scrutiny and accountability. Thematically this is what Enorme! attempts to illustrate.”