Gama Bomb – Speed Between The Lines
Gama Bomb – Speed Between the Lines
AFM Records
Release date: 12/10/2018
Running time: 35.07
Review by: Alun Jones
8/10
Hello and welcome to Thrash School. For todays lesson, you will need:
• Skin tight jeans (preferably with ripped knees)
• Faded Acid Reign t-shirt
• Studded leather belt and 1x studded leather wrist band
• White hi-top leather Converse
• Black leather jacket (denim vest over jacket optional)
• Baseball cap with “NOT” written under the peak
Because today we will be listening to the new album by Gama Bomb, entitled “Speed Between the Lines”.
These merry metallers have an uncanny ability to rewind the cassette of time to a simpler age. It’s like grunge never happened. Instead, we get twelve face-lacerating tunes that rush by in uncompromising fashion. This is thrash metal, kids, buckle up for the ride.
Eighties thrash was often pre-occupied with party bum-out vibes like nuclear destruction. Apparently, it’s a post-Cold War world though, so these boys don’t wallow in misery for too long. Not that they don’t have a social conscience: witness the admirable stab at the current political climate in “Alt Reich”.
But they’re just as happy dedicating an ode to Kurt Russell, which is perfectly justified in my opinion. Kurt is, of course, an icon of twentieth century popular culture. Not convinced? Go watch The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China and you can thank me later.
Back to the music. Although diversity isn’t Gama Bomb’s strong point – Master of Puppets this ain’t – the listener is rewarded with a dozen tracks that speed by relentlessly. The musicianship is amazing, with blitzkrieg lead guitar all over the place.
The occasional change of pace would add some additional colour, but you can’t fault the commitment and enthusiasm of this band. This album is the full package with cool themes and some of the best song titles I’ve heard in a long time (666teen? Give them an award NOW). The music is intense and exciting in equal measure, bringing to mind classic Overkill, Anthrax and Nuclear Assault.
So dig out your old Variflex skateboard and ask your big brother’s mate to buy you a two litre bottle of cider from the Co-op. With Gama Bomb you can party like it’s 1987. This history lesson is over.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Give Me Leather
02. A Hanging
03. 666teen
04. Bring Out the Monster
05. R.I.P. U
06. Motorgeist
07. Alt-Reich
08. Stay Rotten
09. We R Going 2 Eat U
10. Kurt Russell
11. World Gone to Hell
12. Faceblaster
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Alun Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
