GAMA BOMB, RAVEN THEORY AND GRIEVE
HUDDERSFIELD PARISH P2 05/11/09
Remember, remember, the 5th of November. While the air is thick with sulphur due to people literally burning bank notes being easily amused by pretty lights in the night sky, it’s good to know there’s somewhere for the more sensible among is to dwell. It seems the return of the mighty Gama Bomb has drawn a crowd from far and wide tonight with a ratio of long haired metal shirt wearing types rarely spotted in Huddersfield and certainly the two dolled up ladies sipping from dainty wine glasses in the corner look most out of place. Massive thanks tonight to Philly of Gama Bomb for getting me on the guestlist after an administrative error meant I was left off; after a bit of running and ringing around I managed to get through the door in time for openers Grieve. These boys are no strangers to the local gig scene, and have been reviewed on this website perhaps half a dozen times before but tonight it is almost like watching a different band. With a new vocalist manning the mic the boys have grown into a strapping beast that is a force to be reckoned with. Musically they are tighter, and as heavy as a ten ton hammer, with some formidable chugging riffs that Dime would be proud to see played on his signature guitar. Yes, the Pantera influence is unmistakable on new tracks like ‘Wage Slave,’ not that a cover of ‘Fucking Hostile’ wouldn’t be a dead giveaway. ‘Godsend’ on the other hand has a hint of Sabbath in the sluggish bassline and drawn out riffage, and overall it’s good to see this band making progress. A good start to the night.
Raven Theory have been around the block a few times, being a name I have seen on various posters and heard from the mouths of local gig-goers the past decade, but they have always eluded me. Tonight I’m afraid I learn that I haven’t missed very much and while they’ve clearly won themselves a healthy following in the area, it’s no surprise they’ve never made it out there in the wider world. Lacklustre is the word I would attribute most to their music, and this is the kind of run of the mill local act I have seen more times that I care to remember, with every song coming off virtually the same as the last. As dull as the music may be their presence on stage is a different matter; they certainly give it their all and really put their backs into the performance. While retro is the game of Gama Bomb, seriously, nu-metal died in 2001 and let’s just leave it at least another decade before resurrecting its rotten corpse, ok? Time for another beer.
Now, I have a confession to make. I didn’t know a lot of the songs in Gama Bomb’s set tonight, but given that the new album was released only today all should be forgiven. No special press privileges this time either; it’s out as download free of charge so go get it at the link at the bottom of this page. As much as the new songs are still alien to me, there is a real sense of familiarity about them and as ever a delightful Irish charm. Those few who criticised Evile for moving forward from the style on their debut will have no cause for complaints here as there is no hint of progression or experimentation; just pure, beer-swigging, retro games and cult film loving, fast as fuck thrash metal that we know and love. The riffs on ‘Return To Blood Castle’ are spookily sounding like they came straight of Citizen Brain and ‘Last Ninja’s Unite’ really gets the crowd going.
Tonight being the first night of the tour, there’s none of that end of the road fatigue that plagued their set last year and tonight it’s safe to say they are on fire (who needs Guy Fawkes and sparklers, eh?) The drummer goes hell for leather on the kit while the guitarists race full speed ahead, and as ever frontman Philly interacts with the crowd at every opportunity; who else could dedicate a song to cheese and onion crisps, though how on earth that turned into a “Yorkshire” chant is beyond me, and the band launch into ‘Bullet Belt.’ The crowd-pleasers are mixed among the untried and tested and after all the “Dick Jones” chanting they were left with no option but to play ‘O.C.P.’ The band go out on a high with ‘Zombi Brew’ which ends just as I finish mine and with promises to be back as soon as next month there are few complaints.
Luci Herbert
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