Trauma is a thrash metal band from the USA originally forming in the early eighties, releasing their debut album ‘Scratch And Scream’ in 1984, before disbanding later the same year. Reforming in 2013 in support of a re-mastered edition of their debut, the band went on to release their second album ‘Rapture And Wrath’ in 2015, third album ‘As The World Dies’ in 2018, and fourth album ‘Awakening’ in 2022.
With a much heavier feel than previous albums, ‘Awakening’ is rammed full of classic-sounding thrash metal – and why wouldn’t it? The band were a part of the thrash metal explosion from the Bay Area of San Francisco along with bands such as Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, and Metallica. And while these bands went on to conquer the world, Trauma, sadly, took a three-decade hiatus! But their impact was never forgotten – the band’s debut ‘Scratch And Scream’, a legendary release that stoked the fire of thrash metal. And deserving of its re-release thirty years later! Not just because it’s a classic, but it also heralded the return of Trauma – and with new music to boot! Like a second coming, the band have outlived their first, releasing three albums in seven years – ‘Awakening’ the band’s latest, featuring eleven fast-paced songs over a barnstorming forty-five minutes.
Quickly into their stride, Trauma unleashes a barrage of heaviness with the blistering opener ‘Walk Away’ – screeching and screaming its way through the airways. The pace is incredible, the feel definitely old school, and loaded with a head bang ability second to none, the band setting their stall out very early. The twenty-two second ‘Ted Talks’ features a spoken word passage – likely American serial killer Ted Bundy – before the band let rip with the storming ‘Death Of The Angel’. Moving at high velocity ‘Death Of The Angel’ is classic sounding thrash, full of energy and oomph, and that all-important ingredient – head bang ability. The mosh pits are gonna go fucking crazy for this one! The aggression level across the opening two songs has been fairly brutal, and shows no sign of relenting either, as ‘Meat’ steams in and rampages on its merry way. And when I say merry, I really mean stomping hard, full of fire and brimstone, and not giving the listener a chance to breathe.
The all-powerful intensity is mind-blowing, Trauma giving it their all, as the album moves on with a little menace not heard so far – ‘The River Red’ hitting hard and kicking harder. If you’re looking for a thrash metal album to blow away cobwebs and clear your mind, then you won’t go far wrong with ‘Awakening’. All forty-five furious minutes of it! Adopting a more mid-tempo mid-paced thunderstorm, ‘Burn’ is savage as it bish bash boshes the hell outta ya! You better learn how to duck as the band come roaring at you with aggressive intent!
‘Falling Down’ is one of only two songs on the album to exceed the five-minute mark. And with its much mellower intro lulling you into a state of serenity, the band smack you hard around the head at just twenty-five seconds in! The brutal bashing is incredible, although ‘Falling Down’ is one of those songs that swings effortlessly from a hard and fast stride to a slow and lazy wander, with fans of traditional heavy metal loving this one too.
With its tribal feel, ‘Voodoo’ strolls into life, before an emphatic change of direction sees the bands thrash metal roots shine through. Heavy, fast, and furious, ‘Voodoo’ is tinged with a little of the crossover style – think Mordred and Anthrax – giving it the feel of a genre-breaking moment. Aggression and anger rise to the surface with ‘End Of Everything’ dragging its knuckles across the land, injecting a little pace here and there. Over the last couple of songs, Trauma has stretched its thrash metal leanings, exploring territories just outside the thrash genre. The band definitely not content to just relive their early days, continuing to push the horizon of their soundscape further than ever before.
And as we near the end of the album – just two songs left to go – the band show no sign of letting the heaviness slide. The intensity level is as high now as it was at the album’s start! ‘Blind’ is the next barrage of savagery from a band in top form – keeping the mosh pits moving and heads nodding back and forth really hard. There have been some very good thrash metal albums released this year, with ‘Awakening’ right up there with them all. Who said metal was dead? Not me! It’s alive and doing very well indeed. Bringing the album to a close is more savagery, more heaviness, and more aggression, courtesy of ‘Death Machine’. An all-out thrasher, ‘Death Machine’ features explosive pace changes and a little of the American power metal style too!
Overall, a thundering barrage of high-intensity thrash, full of changing pace but always very heavy and head bang-able.
TRACKLIST
Walk Away
Ted Talks
Death Of The Angel
Meat
The River Red
Burn
Falling Down
Voodoo
End Of Everything
Blind
Death Machine
Trauma: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Massacre Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
