Gama Bomb-The Terror Tapes

AFM Records
2013

I've been hesitant to cover this album if only for the band's name. Weird I know, but it somewhat bothered me in light of recent events. Yes, of course I can separate a band's name from awful events perpetrated in the name of evil (see Anthrax for example), but even I have become bothered by the state of this God-forsaken world. Regardless, Gama Bomb is just a band and a name is a name just as words are only words. In this case we have a band that hails from the United Kingdom and, unless you've been living in a cave somewhere when it comes to thrash metal bands, Gama Bomb crank out tongue-in-cheek thrash metal that is more retro then anything. Think mid-eighties to early-nineties speed/thrash with some crossover tendencies done up with a modern bent and you've got Gama Bomb in all their glory. The band came thrashing head first out of Northern Ireland in 2002 and, judging by album number four, they have no signs of slowing down or changing gears anytime soon. Lead vocalist Philly Byrne leads these misfits and with titles like "Beverly Hills Robocop", "Smoke the Blow with Willem Dafoe", "The Cannibals Are in the Streets - All Flesh Must Be Eaten" and "Shitting Yourself to Live" you know these guys don't take themselves too seriously. All in all album number four is perfect for those who loved old-school speed/thrash/crossover or those folks into the current crop of retro-thrash bands.