Northern Irish thrashers Gama Bomb are back with their sixth album titled “Speed Between The Lines” where speed, thrash, punk and metal all combine together in their now trademark sound that thrash metal fans love them for.
Gama Bomb are 6 albums in now with the release of “Speed Between The Lines” and while vocal issues were a problem a few years back with frontman Philly Byrne, that hasn’t stopped the band continuing what they do best which is all out punk infused thrash metal. Going back to their earlier albums like “Survival Of The Fastest” and “Citizen Brain” which seems like a lifetime ago, this new release almost feels like a new era in some ways. While there’s nothing spectacular new here, the trademark Gama Bomb speedy riffs and bombastic drums coarsing through at a comfortable 100 miles per hour, Speed Between The Lines feels fresh in many ways which may be due to the slick production on the recording which makes the songs come even more to life.
Opening track “Give Me Leather” begins with Philly Byrne giving that now well known operatic Halford-like scream before chaos ensues. Admittedly this first track is easy to start with and merely a warm up to what’s coming. “A Hanging” oozes groove behind the thrashy riffs before the first single “666teen” comes crashing through the gates with gunz blazing. Second single “Bring Out The Monster” introduces fans to the new mascot of the band, Snowy’ The Gamabombinable Snowman, but it’s the music that grabs more of your attention with it’s old school feel.
From here things get even more on the fun side – “R.I.P. U” has a kind of throwback to Judas Priest with it’s “Painkiller” intro before that signature Gama Bomb funness begins, complete with gloriously hooky riffs and relentless double bass work. Add this one to the playlist! The punkier stuff comes in the form of tracks like “Motorgeist” and the interesting “Alt-Reich” which has a riff fest mid-section that is going to stick out well after this album is done. “Kurt Russell” is not a name that you might associate with thrash metal but here the band go tongue in cheek with the idea and run with it in typical humerous Gama Bomb fashion.
All in all “Speed Between The Lines” is exactly what you would expect from the Irish thrash act. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it will get your head banging. It’s thrash metal at it’s best.
TRACKLIST
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
