If the name Trauma rings a bell when it comes to the San Francisco music scene, then you are probably thinking of Cliff Burton, the famed former bass player for Metallica who tragically died in a tour bus accident in 1986. His association with the band goes back before his brief stint in Metallica in which he was a major part in the formation of the band back in it’s initial stages in the early 80’s and while I won’t bore you with the details on those early days as much of it is probably well documented now, the band developed an ongoing cult status that was rooted in Cliff’s legacy. The band largely disappeared for a long time until recent years when the band came back with a new lineup that now includes various key members of the Bay Area thrash scene including bass player Greg Christian (Testament), guitarist Steve Robello (Dublin Death Patrol) as well as original vocalist Donny Hillier along with Joe Fraulob (Danzig) on guitars and longtime drummer Kris Gustofson rounding out the current lineup.
“As The World Dies” is the third album from Trauma in it’s reincarnated form and it largely follows on the classic metal sound that remains a staple of it’s signature style. The Bay Area sound is always distinctive no matter what band it is and it shows up glowingly in certain parts of some of the songs on offer. For those that either forgot about Trauma or never took the time to listen to the band, what do they sound like? It’s a concoction really of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal mixed with classic heavy metal and a fairly strong modern rock sound. This new album certainly represents all of that but done with a slightly modernistic way without losing any of the vintage sound that seems to eminate proudly on their songs.
The NWBHM sound certainly rings true on the vocals with Donny Hillier bringing some power to his clean and operatic voice. Think Dio and Bruce Dickinson but with maybe not quite the range that those two iconic singers have but then, not many can be compared to those two so that may be a little unfair. But his voice works well for the band, complimenting the strong guitar parts which would otherwise overpower anything else. Speaking of, the guitars are very much front and center on the album, giving much of the focus of the listener to a barrage of riffs and solos and it starts right off the bat on opener “The Rage“.
Following from that is the more uptempo “From Here To Hell” with a slightly more thrashier style seeping through but with huge, anthemic chorus lines following through. The title track is another highlight as it begins with a Black Sabbath inspired doomy intro before kicking into gear with more uptempo stuff complete with double kicks and riveting riffs, switching between the two dimensions and adding a real rock n roll flavour to it. The favorite here though has to be “Gun To Your Head“, the swagger of the guitars giving this song a hard rock edge but with some muscle in the engine room. Once again it’s the guitar tones and the riffs mixed together that really make this a stand out.
From here on the album diversifies quite a bit and swings a little away from the original sound, going for a more rock oriented sound rather than it’s more traditional roots. From the 80’s ballad sounding “Last Rites” to the Iron Maiden inspired “Run For Cover“, the grungy “Asylum” and the modern rock anthems of “Entropy“, the short but sweet “Cool Aid” and the closer that is “Savage” that has an almost early Status Quo feel to it, the album becomes more of a surprise than just a run of the mill heavy metal record. It’s rock and metal all in one but done without losing that classic sound that the band created for themselves.
This is definitely one to check out, if not for the historical aspect of it and it’s connection to one of metal’s most important bass players but just for the sheer musical traversity and love of a good guitar oriented album.
TRACKLIST
The Rage
From Here To Hell
As The World Dies
Gun To Your Head
Last Rites
Run For Cover
Asylum
EntropyR
Cool Aid
Savage
