the thrash of Gomorrah (U.S.): To the Depths

Gomorrah (U.S.): To the Depths

For a young band that began in 2012, this recording suggests that they have been dedicated to their metal mission a lot. One would expect a lesser-quality recording, and less clarity in the direction of the songwriting. Really, you would be wrong on both counts. It’s definitely a very promising and headbanging six-song work. The following is meant as a compliment, and not as an insult at all: Gomorrah really, really sounds like the thrash of 1990-1994 is perhaps what they like the most: more specifically: Sepultura, Megadeth and Pantera. Gomorrah means to get you moving and they have written songs that will work well live, taking a cue, perhaps from the above bands’ ability to write hits. The recording sounds good to the ear, the guitars sound upfront, as are the vocals, and the drums sound very modern, not as hard-hitting as their influences (those old bands had bigger budgets and the studios had people that knew how to record real drums), but still very solid and acceptable.

Do you know what Gomorrah sounds like, to these ears? They sound like the guitar solos are inspired by Megadeth’s “Rust in Peace,” but like the hooks/riffs are 60% in the spirit of Sepultura’s “Arise” and 30% percent the chunky of Pantera’s “Cowboys” and “Vulgar Display” (the other 10% could be Slayer, perhaps). The vocals are a hybrid of “Arise” with “Vulgar Displays” yelled screams. The band is full of metal energy and raw enthusiasm that you would have to be deaf not to notice that they love metal. Essentially, this is one heck of a beginning for Gomorrah, a band based in Ohio, a place that seems to have some young bands’ names popping up all over the world of unsigned metal bands. You already know that a band like Sepultura stopped playing thrash years and years and years ago, and you already know that those old bands just don’t have that headbanging-song vibe they once did; but if you are not 100 years old and/or you are not cynical, you know that there are many young metal bands that actually sound very excited to be playing metal. That’s Gomorrah, and it shows big time. Keep it up, Gomorrah. Slowly but surely people are noticing.

www.gomorrahmetal.bandcamp.com/album/to-the-depths www.facebook.com/metalgomorrah

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