Gama Bomb : "BATS"

 

Going into this album you might assume Gama Bomb is just another band trying to dig back into the 80s and resurrect the glory days of thrash. They prove themselves students of the era, but make attempts to establish themselves as a band that walks in the present day. "Egyptron" does this by going into an exotic breakdown that features a verse from rapper The Egyptian Lover. Though that song might mislead you thinking they are more along the lines of Avenged Sevenfold. This is corrected on the more street-wise "Living Dead in Beverly Hills". If there is one band in the Big Four of Thrash these guys take inspiration from it would be Anthrax.  Much like Anthrax there is a more fun-loving spirit about what they are doing. 

Though by the time the album arrives at "Rusted Gold" it is evident they take more inspiration from the less stadium-packing pedigree of the genre, and take more cues from a band like Overkill. Melodic vocals that are rapid-fire as needed provide a commanding narrative for the songs, even venturing up into falsetto shrieks. It takes a few listens for these songs to settle in. They are not immediate headbangers. The frantic pace of "Materialize" does not feel as effective as the more deliberate gallops found in the first few songs. The guitarist produced this album, so all the solos sound pristine and this is a very guitar-dominant album.

They could convince you they are from Jersey rather than Ireland when things lock into a speed metal frenzy for "Mask of Anarchy" which puts the gang vocal chorus to good use. It is surprising that halfway into the album they have not tried to milk the half-time mosh groove. They add a slight touch of rock n roll to " Don't Get Your Hair Cut". "Dreamstealer" is driven by a tight palm-muted tension that almost feels more power-metal. Some of the melodies are more cumbersome than others on this one, even with its more Van Halen-like party vibe. 

"Speed Funeral" is the first song that conforms more to the hyper-aggressive razor-riffed brand of thrash that Slayer made famous. The vocal delivery falls in line with what their singer has already brought to the table earlier in the album. This is also the song where there are noticeably pitchy points when goes up into his falsetto.  "Secular Saw" takes a joking look at religion. The riffs match up to the lyrics well. The gang vocals are really the only thing keeping "Bats in Your Hair" from sounding like the more free-wheel-burning proto-thrash of Judas Priest. I will give this album a 9, as it's a fun listen that exceeded my expectations, and finds these guys in the rare position of not being a tribute band, but a thrash band in and of themselves.