Gama Bomb announce new record, BATS, out on November 10th via Prosthetic Records

Irish thrash metal maestros Gama Bomb have just announced thei eighth studio offering and we couldn’t be more excited to receive it! From the tombs of Egypt to the faded glamour of old Hollywood, Domo, John, Joe and James lead us through new sonic landscapes and all manner of novel adventures on BATS, is a record that could only be borne from Gama Bomb. Having fully embraced their inner absurdities, they’ve taken a trust fall into each other’s arms, relying on the idiosyncratic glue that has bound them together over the last 21 years to propel them forwards. BATS is the first Gama Bomb album to be entirely produced, mixed and mastered by guitarist Domo Dixon, who utilized the remote recording skills picked up during various lockdowns over the past few years, approached the recording of BATS with a deliberately self-sufficient attitude.

Whilst the lyrical content veers into various different directions, the record is tied together with a 1960s-inspired aesthetic as demonstrated via the artwork created by the legendary Graham Humphreys, which serves as a visual tribute to the iconic design trends and pop culture of the 60s. Guitarist John Roche comments: “The accompanying artwork and inlay by the lovely Rory McGuigan are based on 1960s exploitation movies in the vein of Russ Meyer and other directors who didn’t want to put their name on their films”. Sonically, Gama Bomb manage to stay true to their distinctive thrash sound, honed to perfection over two decades at the frontline of headbanging and fist-pumping. There are nods to heavy metal titans such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, there’s even a sliver of Bad Brains-esque punk attitude, and more familiar influences such as Tankard and Sodom are still evident. But if you think Gama Bomb are serving up something run of the mill then you’ve clearly not accounted for the guest appearance by Irish musician Gavin Kerins or a star-turn from hip hop pioneer The Egyptian Lover who raps on – naturally – “Egyptron”.

BATS will be released on November 10th via Prosthetic Records. Pre-orders are now available here.

Photo credit: Emmett Moore