Review GAMA BOMB ‘Bats’

Ireland’s thrash metal export number one, Gama Bomb, announced with ‘Bats’ their latest album so far, which will bring delight to the fans from now on. On their eighth album, Gama Bomb remain true to their style and that starts with the artwork.

Compared to other thrash metal bands, Gama Bomb had always chosen their own visual expression and so the comic-like artwork for ‘Bats’ doesn’t come as a surprise. Fittingly for the Halloween season, the Irish let the bats fly and what’s even better, they fly to the beat of eleven new songs.

A short and sinister intro opens the gate to a tombs of ancient pharaohs which leads to the interesting and oldschool-like ‘Egyptron feat. The Egyptian Lov‘. Gama Bomb pleasantly surprise with an exciting break with spoken words in the middle part, before a felicitous solo brings the song back into metallic realms.

That Anthrax are no strangers to Gama Bomb proves ‘Living Dead in Beverly Hills’. More Anthrax homage than what you get in the chorus is almost not possible, as the song wouldn’t stand out negatively on ‘Among the Living’ either.

‘Rusted Gold’ is much more traditional while ‘Mask of Anarchy’ convinces with its straight forward mentality. One feels more than once reminded of US East Coast metal.

With ‘Speed Funeral’ the guys have also packed a throbbing metal blast on the album before melodic metal is the basis for ‘Secular Saw’, which is combined with thrashy riffpower. There is also a pinch of Bad Brains, which adds some diversity, and yet there are better tracks on ‘Bats’.

The more punky and rapid ‘Bats in Your Hair’ marks the end of the record and represents a good finale in which the neck muscles are once again really challenged.