Review by Carl on January 26, 2021.

I've never taken the time to really explore Foetal Juice’s music solely because I was kinda put off by their name and some of the titles of their releases, with doozies like 'Brewkakke', 'Albert Grindstein' and 'Big Trouble in Little Vagina'. Ok, I’ll admit that the last one made me smile, but the rest conjure up the image of a band that spends most of their rehearsals just swigging beer and lighting their farts on fire. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I heard their second full length effort Gluttony.

As in most cases nowadays, this release comes with the almost obligatory "For Fans of" thing, and in this case the dropped names are: Vader (yeah, I kinda hear that in the distance), Master (not that much), Entombed (perhaps you hear that but I don't) and Malevolent Creation. It's this last one that makes the most sense to me. The varied songs, the catchy thrash metal infused riffing and the gruff vocal delivery are indeed elements that I know all too well from Malevolent Creation's releases, but the band that popped up more than average in my mind is Hateplow, the late 90's/early 00's project of members of, indeed, Malevolent Creation. Foetal Juice's songs have that same manic, almost hardcore-like fluidity to them, making them nestle into your brain after just a few listens. The tracks are not complicated and well performed which is a sure advantage because this no-frills approach to their music helps ensure that the energetic performance hits you right where it hurts. In this they also remind me of "Harmony Corruption" era Napalm Death, by the way. There are other influences as well. There's a definite grind/crust element in the music, especially in the forceful execution of the music, and in a song like 'Worthless Delusion' the band uses a Darkthrone-y black metal riff to great effect. It makes for the needed variation and gives the song a recognizable hook that I can fully appreciate. The production is contemporary and clear without sounding overproduced, making the band sound utterly vicious and aggressive, making this album a sure keeper.

This was my first time listening to Foetal Juice and I am impressed. The music has power and conviction, the songs are memorable, and it sounds absolutely awesome. If 90's death/grind makes your spine tingle and you can't get enough of bands like Solstice (US), Malevolent Creation, early Hypocrisy and Hateplow, you should check these guys out. I'm glad I did.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 18, 2021.

'Living for the Lockdown' did not get a place on Sea Savage. Probably that’s why the song is not pelagic enough. Please keep in mind that Gama Bomb take their music very seriously! But not themselves at all and this alone makes them extremely likeable. Living for the Lockdown is a typical Gama Bomber with very lively, fast guitars, whipping drums and entertaining vocals. Philly Byrne delivers every pitch you need with a twinkle in his eye. He embodies both in one: the funny jester and the authentic metalhead. Perfect combination!

While I think about it for a moment, I come to the conclusion that Gama Bomb is the only humorous "fun band" in (thrash) metal. Lines like “Watching the news, how long can it last? My personal hygiene is a thing of the past” are simply cool and “Asleep on the bog, eating in the bedroom. You’ve run out of hash, 15 viewings of Tango And Cash” make me grin as well. Given this situation, music and lyrics go hand in hand. If there was a vaccine against the Covid 19 shit in acoustic form, the sonic scientists of Gama Bomb would have invented it with this.

Alas, this is not the case (so far). That’s why 'Living for the Lockdown' is “only” a great song with some pretty crude tv noise after the whirlwind-like guitar solo. Feel free to check out the official video on YouTube. It’s a very nice visual implementation of the track. So it’s up to you: listen to Gama Bomb or the lockdown of your music taste is unnecessarily prolonged.

Final note: the monster from the 'Bring out the Monster' video returns in the clip for 'Living for the Lockdown'. Hopefully his actor was allowed to take off the costume between the two video shoots. But everything is possible in the gamabombinable galaxy.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10