Gamma Bomb - Sea Savage

Gamma Bomb

Sea Savage

by Kevin Lewis at 05 January 2021, 12:23 AM

So, how to describe GAMA BOMB… Irish Thrash/Speed/Power Metal with a sense of humor and loads of talent. Formed in 2002, this is a band that reminds me of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH, except their songs tend to last longer than 30 seconds. "Sea Savage" is their seventh full-length album and was issued on December 4, 2020 through Prosthetic Records

This record comes at you right from the beginning. “Judo Killer” sprints out of the gate and spends three and a half minutes racing along at a steady pace. Blast beats, driving bass, and dual guitars working together to fill the sound out makes this an interesting song. There is a pretty cool solo on this song that stands out because the guitars spend so much time in harmony that the difference is very noticeable, and pleasant.

“Sea Savage” and “Miami Supercops” are both fast-paced, Hardcore songs that deliver killer riffs, pounding rhythms and wild vocals. The lyric delivery is a rapid as the music, giving these songs a cool dimension that approaches rap from a metal point of view, similar to early EXODUS on songs like “Toxic Waltz”. It’s as impressive as it is technical.

“Lords Of The Hellfire Club” is another barn burner that just races along, taking you on a ride that leaves you breathing heavy because you thought you could keep up. “Rusty Jaw” is much the same. Killer guitar riffs, vocals from low to high and a rhythm that never lets up. “Monsterizer” has some interesting guitar harmonics in places, mixed in with blistering riffs and rapid-fire fills.

The key takeaway from this record is that these guys are serious musicians who know how to have fun. GAMA BOMB is one of those newer bands that could easily fit in with mid-1980s thrash and never feel out of place. The combination of low and high pitch vocals adds an interesting dimension to the music. The ability of Philly Byrne to shift pitches is reminiscent of KING DIAMOND, but his tones are completely different and original. His delivery is a combination of Paul Baloff and Eminem.

Meanwhile, Joe, Domo and John have a particular skill set that is, well, music to the ears. Their ability to maintain some of the breakneck speeds is impressive and inspiring. While I love technical playing, fast and accurate is even better. These are excellent musicians who deserve credit for being as on point as they are regardless of the tempo they play at. Overall, this is a very good record that should be heard more than once just to ensure the listener gets a proper feel for all the nuance these guys use in their songs.

Songwriting:  9
Musicianship:  9
Memorability:  8
Production:  8