What do you get if you blend Fleetwood Mac era Stevie Nicks’ vocals with rocka-rolla era Judas Priest songwriting and thunderous choruses that pay homage to Joan Jett in her prime? The latest Georgia Maria single, “Thunderbolt,” has that full package for us. A 70’s style rock song by an independent artist who’s not afraid to go hard and embrace some hard rock vibes.
The London-based guitarist and renowned rocker begins her track with a stompy intro that reminded me of Metallica’s cover of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?”. This is a story about a supernatural, superpowered lady who will reincarnate one day as a “Thunderbolt,” and this story is told by an alternation between wailing and powerful verses and a chorus that feels like it will make your head explode.
After the second chorus, we are blessed with an awesome bass section and you might feel slightly underwhelmed that there’s no guitar solo here, but believe me, this beautiful bassline acts as a bridge and more than makes up for it.
The lyrics in the chorus are what stood out for me the most and made me feel like there’s hope for “restorationist” rock-n-roll artists who aren’t afraid of making a record that’s purely rock, purely organic, bass-heavy and in touch with the genre’s legacy.
“Who wants to do it all again?
To reacquaint with ball and chain?
She’ll come back around
As a thunderbolt”
I know for a fact that I want to do it all again, and I’ll be waiting for Georgia Maria to come back around and light up our world with this kind of heavy rock, as the thunderbolt that she truly is.
