Swiss demi-thrashers Gomorra are a new name on me; but on new album Divine Judgement they have created a nice launchpad for themselves, fusing traditional power, true and thrash metal influences to create a very pleasing sound indeed.

The band are produced by V.O. Pulver; I don’t know how much influence Pulver had on the writing of the album, but it’s surely more than coincidence that the overriding sound reference I kept coming back to on Divine Judgement was Pänzer, the Schmier/Herman Frank vehicle which Pulver joined on guitars a few years ago.

And talking of Schmier, the other main point of interest for Gomorra is that lead guitarist Damir Eskic also plays in Schmier’s venerable Teutonic thrash troupe Destruction.

That’s enough of the introductions. You want to know about the music, right? Well, as I said, it’ very much a metal/thrash hybrid, but if we’re being honest the band sound at their best when ploughing the more traditional furrow. Standout tracks Hope For The Righteous, Cleansing Fire and Never Look Back are rousing, storm trooping pieces of Euro metal that really wouldn’t look or sound out of place on a Firewind album, and I believe that it’s within this area that the band operate most efficiently.

That’s not to say that the thrash part of the blueprint doesn’t work; opening track Gomorra is certainly a chunky piece of chugging neothrash that gets the toes tapping, but over the course of the record the band impresses less when thrashing at full tilt.

Eskic’s guitar partner Dominic Blum proves himself to be an adept foil for his more famed partner, whilst vocalist Jonas Ambühl, whilst not overburdened with individuality is a sturdy enough addition to the international metal ranks. As times progress he’ll develop his own identity, for sure, and the chops are certainly there, giving him plenty of scope for establishing himself.

It’s obviously early days for Gomorra, but there is enough high quality material on display here to mark them out as a name to watch for the future.

Divine Judgement will be handed down on May 22nd…