Reviewed by Simon Eden

This is a debut release six track EP from Southern California hardcore rockers Trauma, consisting of Danny Ashbrook on voices, screams and growls, Bob Wilson on lots of guitars, Johnny Caldera on even more guitars, Tom Ridlon on just bass guitar and Jay Smith on drums. There is no middle ground here on the volume control. There are the occasional synth breaks and even the odd sample, only to be blasted out of the way by the ear drum bleeding metal guitar riffs with levels all turned up to 11. The peculiar exception is track five, "Insomniac Trauma" which could be found on a New Age meditation collection. Thankfully it is followed by the raucous "Wake Up Before You Die", which could just raise the dead if played in a graveyard. The most clearly sung line in the EP is from this last track - "scratching your nails on my chalkboard face", whilst the rest of the vocal lines consist of inaudible growling. However, a moment of magic comes in at the end with an Evanescence-style female lead vocal that takes the performance from one that sounds like so many others to one that could go mainstream. Having said that though, the bonus track isn't worth the wait.

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