Cruel Bomb – Trinity Terror (Self-Released)
Sunday, 1st March 2020
PA crossover thrash band Cruel Bomb returns to the scene after a solid debut EP release last year with Manhattan Mischief, as Trinity Terror sees the trio penetrating the musical landscape with another four tracks of heaviness. In today’s marketplace where there are so many independent artists vying for consumer attention, it’s refreshing to hear a trio willing to pump out releases on an annual basis, as you can hear (and watch) the seasoning, band chemistry, and hopefully gelling together as these musicians gain more comfort with one another.
For those not in the know, Cruel Bomb possess a sound that has equal affinity for the groove/crossover scene in hardcore as it does thrash – between the forceful, barking nature of guitarist Brandon Gilvary on vocals, the slamming rhythm section unity present in bassist Kennie Barto and drummer Kyle McKeown, as well as the crunchy main riffs and solid transitions/gang-oriented choruses it’s a palpable cocktail of styles that should force energy expulsion alone or in large live show environments. One minute you can feel Slayer colliding headlong into Motörhead for the speedier “Teeth Grinder”, but when Cruel Bomb decide to take the pedal off the metal a touch for a mid-tempo stomper like “Fight or Flight”, many will feel a bit of Pro-Pain or Toxic Holocaust presence in the attitude and execution of the arrangement and bouncy riffs/grooves. The intensity, the versatility, the aggression – it’s all delivered in a stellar, solid manner for such a younger combination of musicians – which is encouraging as the sky could be the limit for the band to write strong anthems that this newer generation can treasure.
Favorite of the four at this moment is probably the closer “Atomic Demolition Munition” – it takes Anthrax and Sacred Reich to another dimension, the mid-tempo transition groove switch-up positively going to wreak havoc in the live settings for circular pits or launching bodies upward. Trinity Terror may only be 15 minutes in length, but it should leave Cruel Bomb with more legions awaiting their next record – and hopefully pushing for a full-length on a decent record label, as the quality output is on par with many veteran acts.
