Once upon a time in Ireland, four lads got together in 2002 to create some funny as fuck and heavy as fuck Thrash Metal and throughout the course of eight full-length releases; including Bats they have achieved that goal whole-handedly, because goddamn Bats is fucking incredible. Does it stand up against Survival of the Fastest or Citizen Brain? The raging 800-pound gorilla of Tales from the Grave in Space? Fuck yes, constant reader. Fuck yes, indeed. You see, this is a different type of Gama Bomb album; it’s thrashy as a pool full of sharks (Sea Savage, I’m looking at you). But the thing that it has, this crucial ingredient… A saxophone. More on that later, because this howling motherfucker is already going to be somewhere on my year-end list.

Oh Bats, how dost I love thee. “Egyptron” is like their version of “Powerslave”, it fucking soars and dives like the namesake nocturnal creature and is a 5:00 minute epic in its own right; oh, and it features the Egyptian Lover (yes, that one) who raps on the track. “Rusted Gold” is a Thrash Metal Country Western Ballad, say that three times fast. I digress, because it is a brutal song despite the added genres, I threw in there, the chorus is bombastic and triumphant, think of Lorne Green’s “Ringo” but on amphetamines.

Other bangers are “Materialize”, “Dreamstealer” (which is not a ridiculous take on “Dreamweaver” by Gary Wright, in case you were wondering) and the catchy as hell “Secular Saw” however it is the closer, “Bats in Your Hair” with the most insane saxophone solo courtesy of Gavin Kerins. Philly comments: “BATS is a testament to our exploratory spirit – it’s the weirdest album we’ve ever made, but it feels totally like us. Some of these pieces venture into unfamiliar territory: melodic here, grinding there, even funky in spots. It was very freeing, and the result is catchy, powerful and fun.” Indeed, it is, sir.

Bats is an album that has become a constant in whatever rotation I have. Sometimes an album just grabs you by the face and gives you a giant smooch before ripping it off. This is that record. I urge you constant reader, pick up this one and listen to it everyday. You won’t be sorry.

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