Trauma
Scratch And Scream

Nobody can turn back time. All the better then that we still have the possibility to listen to albums such as "Scratch and Scream". They make the modern times more tolerable while giving us the feeling of being a teenager again. A deceptive yet glorious feeling. Therefore, welcome to 1984. The overrated NWOBHM is in its final throes. But a lot of determined young musicians in the United States feel the urge to express their musical energy. The members of Trauma are among the guys that start to maltreat their instruments in a skilful manner. They are not the most angry representatives of their generation. Nevertheless, their kind of metal is lively and energizing. Moreover, it is powerful enough to wake up and disturb the music industry. Better still, the music has its own personality. The band creates an individual sound. Located at the interface of power metal and speed metal, it offers a wide range of compositions. Admittedly, the running order of the songs follows an unwritten law of the scene. This means that the carefree band starts with the most powerful tune and a slightly balladic number closes the album. But apart from this stereotyped arrangement, Trauma impresses with the strength of each and every track. From today´s point of view, it is a shame that they did not get the respect that they deserved. In view of the almost uniformly high quality standard of the single pieces, every listener will find his individual highlights. In order to give you a feel for the variety of the compositions, I will concentrate on three songs. "The Day All Hell Broke Loose" starts with furious drumming, powerful riffs and passionate vocals. It opens the album in an intoxicating manner and the traditional song pattern intensifies the catchiness of the song. The Big Brother anthem "We Are Watching You" follows a different path. Simple yet gripping riffs are combined with slightly desperate vocals. The mid-tempo tune is crowned by its mighty and very memorable chorus. "I Kill for Less" presents an almost airy verse which contrasts with the dark and slightly threatening chorus. But these are just three examples of an album that has a lot to offer. You will find melodic sections, almost elegiac parts, fantastically evocating arousing guitar solos and hymnal screams. Lead vocalist Donny Hillier prefers to sing in the high ranges without appearing feminine or powerless. The instrumentalists also perform flawlessly. Better still, the quality of the tracks match with the technical realization. The songs develop their full force not at least because of the well balanced mix. The full-length sounds neither artificial nor compressed, but organic and natural. No doubt, the booked studio was worth the money. Perhaps it sounds solemnly, but this is the genuine sound of metal.

Trauma is an almost unknown speed metal group that back in 1984 released this very good CD. Playing old speed metal they took influences from early Exciter and Anthrax . this debut still shines with its mighty and spirited aura.