Bombarder - Sa Dna Groba
Serbia
Grom Records
Death & Thrash Metal Promotion
Legendary Speed Metal Titans Bombarder are back with their eighth album “Sa Dna Groba” (which translates to “From the bottom of the grave”) and deliver another album chock-full of banger tunes infused with punk sensibilities. This is emphatically old-school Speed/Thrash Metal, so you can expect to be bombarded (no pun intended) with an array of barbed-wire riffs that are both catchy and heavy as a Sunday hangover.
Per "Hellbutcher" Gustavsson (Nifelheim, Necrocurse, etc.) makes an appearance on ‘Bombarder III,’ which is an utterly savage track made even more savage with Hellbutcher’s vocal lines. Vocalist Nenad Kovačević, who has been with the band since its inception in 1986, belches out some verily maddened, hollering vocals in Serbian, giving the whole album a very personal touch. I have always felt that metal bands sound better when they perform in their mother tongue and “Sa Dna Groba” is a testament to that. It’s amazing how the singer, who is sixty-one years old, can still deliver such an energetic and passionate performance.
Each member contributes to the collective excellence of this album, as the whole performance is tighter than a camel's arse in a sandstorm and accentuated by a crystal clear production fitting to their sound. The riffs really hit the spot and are masterfully executed on every track, with tempos ranging from mid-paced to more rapid, neck-breaking sections, including some eminently adept guitar solos as heard on the eponymous title-track and “Bezubi Osmijeh” (Toothless Smile).
Every composition on this album kills, even “Na svoju vagu život stavi”, with its absolutely brilliant interplay of violin and sweltering guitar shreds. Furthermore, the rendition of Kreator’s "Flag of Hate” ends the album on a high note with the lyrics again performed in Serbian rather than English. As far as I know, the band relocated to Serbia sometime in the 90s during the Bosnian war. So I am certainly grateful for their longevity and tenacious metal spirit, because the band has endured a lot since its formation. You simply cannot get these dogs down!
Overall, Bombarder is a band that has stayed true to their old-school roots, as “Sa Dna Groba” is an absolute banger of an album that maniacs of true Speed/Thrash metal should not miss out on.