As if it was like a dream come true, Divebomb Records made it happen. As a label that carved an important goal on its back and that is to guarantee that this generation will know what the forefathers and fathers of Metal did back when they were young, significant and in fashion, their mission is also crucial for the survival of Metal music everywhere. If none will get to know the roots, the future will be grim. Back to what Divebomb Records did; They re-hatched two old releases from the wooden cabinets of Metal's history, by the British Thrash Metal band, D.A.M.. For me it was a special occasion because D.A.M., aside from once being a rather major part of the UK Thrash Metal scene of the 80s with immense names that took my interest as XENTRIX, SABBAT, DEATHWISH and ONSLAUGHT, nourished my obsession with riff and power chord based Metal music, a fascination that influenced me to take on the guitar and eventually become a rhythm guitarist playing rough power chords. Originally released in 1989, "Human Wreckage" was the debut firing shot of the British band in a period where the UK scene crossed bone to bone with the decisive US scene that became a dominant factor in Thrash Metal from the mid-80s.

Back when I first listened to "Human Wreckage", I think it was 2003, I thought to myself that this is the perfect ground for the evolution of Thrash into something bigger, especially because a few years after the release of this album, classic Thrash Metal went down pretty hard only to make a sort of a comeback in the first period of 00s. However, as much as I wanted Thrash to develop in small steps, while not abandoning its whole, in order to keep on existing in modern times, a part of me wished for the same simplicity displayed on "Human Wreckage". D.A.M. didn't write clever compositions, they wanted to Thrash and hard while unleashing their fury and anger at the world along with their own British Metal roots. However, as their music wasn't that clever and more straightforward without mercy, there weren't too many hints of NWOBHM within their material. D.A.M.'s songs reminded me more of the early METALLICA period, when they actually were a Metal band, mixed with slight intimation of British rough Punk attitude of the PLASMATICS, evident mostly in the vocal section. I enjoyed the confident stance of the rhythms guitars that along with their crunchy probably Marshall amped sound and bass overhead set the tone for British Thrash Metal. Through lyrics against the rotting society, D.A.M. raged against the decay, against the nuclear bomb threat, against the depression of the late 80s, against the fall of man. Decimating catchy and heavy Thrash flicks as "Human Wreckage", "Prophet Of Doom", "Left To Rot", "Total Destruction" and even Punk oriented "F.O.D." (That also shared first signs of the influence of Hardcore to British Metal in the vein of S.O.D.), have been my soul food for years as both a Thrasher and as an old school Metal fan and boy it still sounds good today when I am out searching for something that would both challenge and lure me.

"Human Wreckage"'s music might have showed the basic features of Metal music as it based itself on power chords, pretty simple structures and coarse passages, but it was made well and it displayed a tight band of five enthusiastic Brits. The band itself might not have survived the test of time and broke up after its second album, "Inside Out" that will also be reviewed so don't worry, but I suppose that I can distinguish "Human Wreckage" as a relic.