Gama Bomb â Sea Savage (Prosthetic Records)
If youâre looking for an antidote to a year of lockdowns and bog roll shortages, then Sea Savage has arrived at just the right time.
You may not be able to leap from the nearest stage to tunes like Rusty Jaw just yet, but Gama Bombâs mix of 80s thrash, crossover and balls-to-the-wall heavy metal will put a big, goofy grin on your face.
Over six albums, Philly Byrne and co. have gifted us some of the most entertaining thrash metal this side of the millennium â and Sea Savage is no exception.
Recorded between Byrneâs native Newry and Dublin, this is a rip roaring hellride powered by 80s Anthrax, DRI and Suicidal Tendencies, where over songs such as Monsterizer, the band demonstrate their mastery of thrash dynamics. Every tempo change kickstarts another incendiary riff or dazzling solo. The gang vocals roar. The double kicks thunder.
But Gama Bomb have indulged their love of classic, turbocharged metal more obviously this time around. Think Priest and Accept wearing hi-tops and Bermuda shorts (or perhaps itâs better if you donât) and youâll be close to the energy of Sheer Khan and Gone Haywire.
It works a treat.
Sea Savage lightens the moodâĤ
It may be inspired by Moby Dick and Victorian horror yarns, but Sea Savage is a world away from gothic misery.
Gama Bomb have always had tongues planted firmly in cheeks.
And that hasnât changed.
Opener Judo Killer sets the tone and Miami Supercops is the best thrash song youâll ever hear about Floridian crime fighters. Weâre not sure how that fits in with the nautical themeâĤ but it does it really matter?
But Gama Bomb turn to the dark sideâĤ
Itâs nice to see Vader makes an appearance on Sea Savage.
Well, the Polish death metal band, rather than the Sith lord.
James Stewart â drummer with the Poles since 2011 â brings his formidable skills to the album, with the title track and Electric Pentacle in particular showing where a decade powering Piotr Wiwczarekâs outfit will get you.
If youâre going to be a little more ambitious with your thrash metal, make sure you have a sticksman whoâll do the business.
And Stewart gets the job done in some style.
An explosive thrash record
Sure, it may be a little too daft for some, but thatâs not going to stop Sea Savage from snapping necks and cracking bones, once we can all jump back into the pit.
And in a year thatâs given us thrash masterworks from the likes of Annihilator, Testament and Havok, Gama Bomb stand tall.
