The tail end of last year saw the attention seizing arrival of German outfit Blast Bomb on the punk ‘n’ roll scene with debut single Born To Lose. Offering up three ravenous slices of heavy rabid rock ‘n’ roll, the release announced the Hamburg hailing quintet as one explosive proposition. Since then the band has made a just as striking and powerful impact on the live scene, sharing stages with the likes of Honeymoon Disease, Conan, Monolord, El Colosso, and Grumpynators along the way. With their reputation seemingly growing by the week, Blast Bomb is poised to release the Burn History & Live Today; an encounter confirming them a feral trespass of sound rather easy to devour and be excited by.
Blast Bomb emerged early 2017 as a project when guitarists Torben and Klaus, bassist Kai, and drummer Tobi came together though the foursome had played together in various permutations and outfits including notably High Gain District and Skull Harvest across previous years. Swiftly they enlisted former Thirteen Shots vocalist and founder Johnny Rose and together honed a sound which is an aggressively imposing and irritable yet instinctively contagious collusion of punk and hard rock with varied metal bred essences. Born To Lose soon proved it was an ear grabbing proposal which demands attention but fair to say as potent as that release was, it has been fiercely eclipsed by Burn History & Live Today in adventure and imagination let alone raw confrontation.
Recorded by Franz Schedlbauer at No Moss Studio and across its quartet of songs lyrically inspired and linked by the emotions and desire leading to Rose’s resettlement in German from England a couple of years ago, the EP swiftly reveals bolder imagination in sound and enterprise through opener Gambler. From an initial bike throated rumble, the band’s new single swaggers in with a hungry groove and rapaciously swinging beats. That grooving continues to bait as things evolve, getting under the skin as Rose’s distinctive tones bring their equally compelling invitation to the hook loaded rock ‘n’ roll incitement. Also spilling a horror punk scent over its punk ‘n’ roll instincts, the track provides a web of old school nurtured but intrusively fresh confrontation while increasingly building on its creative hand.
The following Stray prowls ears with an almost portentous air as it makes its entrance; its threat escalating by the riff and chord as the growling bass of Kai and scything swings of Tobi bring greater imposing texture and attitude to the senses challenging encounter. Stoner spicing adds to its character, further flavouring an inescapable intensity in sound and emotion as well as another inventive aspect to the Blast Bomb sound before Burn History bounds in with devious hooks and snarling riffs amidst an eager ferociousness quickly sparking blues flamed spirals of guitar. This all springs into a spicily searing glaze of sonic liquor which subsequently triggers a repetition of the song’s opening whirl of irresistible hookery and in turn a horror punk lined stalking. With imagination and drama growing in every persuasive note and vocal twist, the track rivals the first in best song honours.
Live Today concludes the release, its gentle opening saunter easily luring the imagination, seducing as guitars and bass unite in an even tempered invitation unsurprisingly carrying an edge and suggestive volatility. That aural simmering eventually erupts in a caustic wind of sound though it is still held with a restraint which escalates the intrigue and creative nature of the song.
It is a fine end to a release which confirms Blast Bomb as one exciting prospect and though you can sense that their sound is still evolving, finding its true voice it just adds to their striking and very welcome intrusion on the punk/rock scene.
Burn History & Live Today is released via Undead Artists on November 2nd with pre-ordering available now @ https://blastbomb.bandcamp.com/releases
Upcoming live shows:
19/10 Kapovaz, Bremerhaven*
20/10 MAD Music Club, Backyard23 Social Club e.V., Hameln*
04/11 Bambi galore, Hamburg+
* with The Dukes Of Bordello + with Castle – Metal Band
https://www.facebook.com/pg/blastbombhamburg
Pete RingMaster 16/10/2018
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
We already know Johnny from his exploits with Thirteen Shots and his label Undead Artists, how did you Johnny meet the rest of the band and what sparked your addition to its line-up?
sound. Is the single a full echo of your music or a teaser to an even broader tapestry?
The mellower caress of Reflections is courted by the great dark shadowed throb of bass and volatility in Ben’s beats which never erupts but magnetically stalks the melancholic beauty of the song’s heart and touch. A song which just grows over time and listens, it brings another enticing aspect to the Mammoth Temple sound which only grows when the track does uncage its muscle.
And there is no time to grab a breath as the outstanding Green Bastards steps in with a spicy groove which within another second launches virulent hooks and a pulsating flirtatious bassline from within its salacious temptation. With Jani adding his raw catchiness to the contagion, the track is pure infection and the best track on offer though closely courted by the likes of the rockabilly swinging Cellmates Of Lunacy. There is a touch of The Peacocks to the track but it is soon bound in the Basementones’ character of sound and expression as other spices adds to an increasingly compelling tapestry.
Bremen hailing 
The variety in the band’s sound has been an open book and illustrated in the garage blues blaze of Nekrosexual and the following drama of Bewitched as well as across the album. The first is a scuzzy roar while the second again uncovering a hook which just fits an eager appetite, uncages predatory basslines and irritable riffs as Rose scowls in the colourful horror punk confines of the excellent encounter.
It all starts with I Like It Wrong and the resonating hefty beats of Sinn. Swiftly they are joined by tangy grooves with a hint of blues toxicity to their invitation. The distinctive tones of Decay are soon adding their dark flirtation and defiance to the mix too, her snarl climbing all over the virulent contagion of the hooks and grooves which are still working their temptation. It is a potent slab of rock ‘n’ roll with maybe few surprises yet making up for it with heart and attitude before Sold My Soul For Rock ‘N’ Roll saunters in with its punk ’n’ roll incitement. There is a touch of In Evil Hour to the song, an irritable hue which adds to the great blend of melodic enterprise and the grouchy snarling of voice and sound.