Gama Bomb
Encyclopedia
Beginnings: 2002-2005
Gama Bomb formed in NewryNewry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
2002 and soon built up a loyal following in their native Ireland and the UK, which they consolidated with a rigorous touring schedule and frequent forays into self-released recording. The band first gained attention with their demo The Survival Option
The Survival Option
The Survival Option is the 2002 début release by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb.Released independently throughout the UK & Ireland. All lyrics and music written by Gama Bomb.-Other information:...
in the same year. Relentless touring was paired with 2003's The Fatal Mission
The Fatal Mission
The Fatal Mission is a 2004 single by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb released independently throughout the UK & Ireland. All lyrics and music written by Gama Bomb.-Other information:...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. At this time front-man Philly Byrne often appeared on stage dressed as a chef, a priest, a pirate and a scientist in an ever more outrageous live stage show, which frequently included a Thrash Metal version of 80's TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
' theme tune. Gama bomb's first dates outside Ireland came in 2004, supporting punk band The Dangerfields on a tour of Scotland.
Survival of the Fastest: 2005-2007
Gama Bomb released their full-length début Survival of the FastestSurvival of the Fastest
Survival of the Fastest is the debut album by thrash metal band Gama Bomb. The album was released on European music label Witches Brew in 2006, after an initial 2005 self-release.-Track listing:...
through European music label Witches Brew
Witches Brew (record label)
Witches Brew is an underground European record label which mainly sells music via online distribution.-Background:Witches Brew was born out of online magazine "The Metal Gospel" and began signing mainly extreme metal artists in early 2002....
in early 2006. The album, which had originally been independently released in a limited edition format in late 2005, included many of the bands then live staples of which many, aside from those present on previous EP releases, had never been commercially available. At this point the bands lineup changed with original guitar player Kevy Canavan leaving and the addition of drummer Paul Caffrey. In late 2005 Domo Dixon filled the vacant guitar spot. The 2006 version of the album features the bonus tracks "M.A.D." and "The Survival Option" from their 2004 Fatal Mission single. In April 2006, as the album was released, Gama Bomb embarked on their first UK tour. The "Insane Quest for Flesh" tour saw support from Mutant (London) and Deceptor (Birmingham) and is seen as a landmark event in the rise of the resurgent UK thrash scene.
Label shopping + Zombi Brew split 7" EP
After live dates in the summer of 2006, as well as coverage in music magazines like the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
and Terrorizer, Gama Bomb self-recorded a demo of their new album "Citizen Brain" to shop to interested labels. Seeking a larger label to help them tour Europe, the demo did the rounds with most of the major metal labels. Around this point Earache Records began to take serious interest in the band.
In May 2007, Gama Bomb joined Hungarian thrash band Black Sister on a split 7" EP released by Problem? Records. The Gama Bomb side featured new tracks "Zombi Brew" (from the Citizen Brain demo) and "Frightmare On Hell St." together with a cover of punk band The Dangerfields
The Dangerfields
The Dangerfields is a punk rock/rock 'n' roll man based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in March 2000. Led by drummer and lead vocalist Andrew Griswold, they have released one album and four EPs, and have played more than 850 live gigs...
' song, "Maniac". The EP was released exclusively on 7" vinyl and limited to 200 copies.
Earache and Citizen Brain: 2008-2009
In September 2007, Gama Bomb announced that they signed a recording contract with Earache RecordsEarache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
. The band lent the song "Zombi Brew" to the "Thrashing Like A Maniac" compilation released by Earache Records, alongside other new Thrash artists such as Evile
Evile
Evile is a thrash metal band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics...
, Municipal Waste
Municipal Waste (band)
Municipal Waste is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from Richmond, Virginia.They performed at the UK's Download Festival on June 15, 2008, on the tuborg stage....
, Mutant (London), Short Sharp Shock and Send More Paramedics
Send More Paramedics
Send More Paramedics were a horror film-influenced crossover thrash band from Leeds in the north of England.-Biography:The name is a reference to the 1985 horror/comedy Return of the Living Dead...
.
In April 2008 Earache confirmed the release of Gama Bomb's Earache debut Citizen Brain
Citizen Brain
Citizen Brain is the second album by thrash metal band Gama Bomb. It was released on June 9, 2008 in Europe and June 24, 2008 in the United States and Rest of the World by Earache Records...
for early June 2008. The album was released in July 2008 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The band toured Europe extensively to support the album.
Since the release of Citizen Brain, the band have been vocal in their support of music downloading, and led a campaign to 'Stamp Out Inferior Metal' on their 2008 Thrashing Like A Maniac Tour, asking fans to bring along CDs they regret buying and destroy them at shows.
In summer 2009, the band played mainstage slots at European metal festivals Hellfest in France and Tuska Open Air in Finland alongside Mötley Crüe, WASP, Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies.
In January 2009 they were voted best newcomer in a Terrorizer magazine readers' poll, and toured Europe with Exodus and Overkill in early 2009 as part of the Killfest tour.
Tales from the Grave in Space and Fourth Album : 2009 – Present
Gama Bomb announced via their MySpace blog in August 2009 that they were returning to the studio to record their third album Tales from the Grave in SpaceTales From The Grave In Space
Tales from the Grave in Space is the third studio album by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb, and one of the first albums ever to be released as a free download by a signed band. In a partnership between the band and record label Earache Records, the album was available for free download from 5...
for a November 2009 release. The album was produced by Scott Atkins, who produced the band's Citizen Brain album.
On September 8 the band announced that Tales from the Grave in Space would be released online completely free on November 5 at earache.com/gamabomb via Rapidshare
RapidShare
RapidShare is a one-click hosting service that offers both free and commercial services. Operating from Switzerland, it is financed by the subscriptions of paying users...
., making them the first metal band to ever release an album for free while signed to a record label. Issue 200 of the UK version of Metal Hammer sold in branches of Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
also came with a copy of the CD as a free covermount.
A physical version of the album was later released. Bassist Joe McGuigan has said that despite it already being given away for free, Tales from the Grave in Space had actually outsold Citizen Brain physically.
In March 2010 Gama Bomb were nominated in the Best Underground Band category of the Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
Golden Gods Awards, losing out to black metal band Immortal on the night. They supported Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
on their July UK tour.
The band embarked on their first US Tour, in support of Overkill, Forbidden and DRI, from October to December 2010, and played a series of shows in Europe beforehand with original lead guitarist Kevy Canavan back in the lineup, filling in for Domo Dixon.
In February 2011 Gama Bomb announced they would undertake a final UK tour to 'say goodbye' to Tales from the Grave in Space
Tales From The Grave In Space
Tales from the Grave in Space is the third studio album by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb, and one of the first albums ever to be released as a free download by a signed band. In a partnership between the band and record label Earache Records, the album was available for free download from 5...
before writing a new album in the summer. The band also revealed a prospective new track would be titled The Cannibals Are In The Streets (Therefore) All Flesh Must Be Eaten via their Facebook profile that same month. The band also played a pair of shows in Mexico in May 2011.
GAMA BOMB are due to tour the UK in supporting Onslaught in September 2011, followed by a headlining tour in October.
Musical style and lyrical themes
Stylistically rooted in 1980s thrash metalThrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
the band have stated influences include acts such as Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
, Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
, Agent Steel
Agent Steel
Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 1984 by singer John Cyriis ,and drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full length albums, and one EP before disbanding in 1988...
, Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
, old Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and early Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. Allmusic also labelled their music as punk metal (crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
).
Gama Bomb's lyrics often refer to the horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
and science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
movies, cartoons and computer games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
of the 1980s, as well as paying tribute to many classic heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
themes. They also write topical songs on social issues like racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. The band is known for injecting their own sense of humour into their lyrics, with bizarre song concepts which lampoon classic thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
topics. Recurrent themes to be found in Gama Bomb songs are cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, zombies, human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
, ghosts and murder.
Members
- Philly Byrne: Vocals
- Joe McGuigan: Bass
- Luke Graham: Guitar
- Domo Dixon: Lead guitar
- Paul Caffrey: Drums
Albums
- 2006: Survival of the FastestSurvival of the FastestSurvival of the Fastest is the debut album by thrash metal band Gama Bomb. The album was released on European music label Witches Brew in 2006, after an initial 2005 self-release.-Track listing:...
- 2008: Citizen BrainCitizen BrainCitizen Brain is the second album by thrash metal band Gama Bomb. It was released on June 9, 2008 in Europe and June 24, 2008 in the United States and Rest of the World by Earache Records...
- 2009: Tales from the Grave in SpaceTales From The Grave In SpaceTales from the Grave in Space is the third studio album by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb, and one of the first albums ever to be released as a free download by a signed band. In a partnership between the band and record label Earache Records, the album was available for free download from 5...
Singles & EPs
- 2002: The Survival OptionThe Survival OptionThe Survival Option is the 2002 début release by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb.Released independently throughout the UK & Ireland. All lyrics and music written by Gama Bomb.-Other information:...
- 2004: The Fatal MissionThe Fatal MissionThe Fatal Mission is a 2004 single by Irish thrash metal band Gama Bomb released independently throughout the UK & Ireland. All lyrics and music written by Gama Bomb.-Other information:...
- 2007: Zombi Brew
- 2010: Half Cut