REVIEW: AM Gold – ‘Bongs Not Bombs’

Few bands today manage to sound as wildly alive as AM Gold. On their latest record ‘Bongs Not Bombs’, the Hudson Valley duo don’t just flirt with chaos; they marry it, dress it in sequins, and throw it onstage with a vintage amp stack and a mischievous grin. It’s an album that feels beamed in from a parallel universe where glam, prog, and classic rock never fell out of fashion. Only got weirder, louder, and more self-aware.

Frontman Aaron Magram and drummer Dana Fasano have built something that’s both nostalgic and wonderfully unhinged. Recorded entirely by the two of them, ‘Bongs Not Bombs’ sounds like a lost relic from a forgotten golden age of rock experimentation, but with the smirk and swagger of a modern DIY act who know exactly what they’re doing. The production is gloriously over-the-top as fuzzy guitar lines duel with glittery synth runs, rhythms shift gears mid-song, and harmonies burst in like unexpected guests at a house party.

Lyrically, it’s a trip through satire and sincerity, sometimes both at once. ‘Yr Kind’ takes a cheeky jab at political hypocrisy without losing its groove, while ‘Ad Nauseum’ dives inward, wrestling with the absurdity of self-doubt. And then there’s ‘(Suckin’ On) Billy G’s Beard’, a ZZ Top love letter so surreal it lands somewhere between homage and fever dream.

But beneath the humour and swagger lies a genuine affection for rock’s long, messy lineage. AM Gold celebrate the past, all while bending it into new, eccentric shapes. ‘Bongs Not Bombs’ is an explosion of sound and personality, offering something bold, brash, and unapologetically strange in the process.

If rock ’n’ roll ever needed a reminder that it’s supposed to be fun, AM Gold just delivered it with riffs, wit, and a knowing wink.