by Justin Gaines
– Sr. Columnist —
Divebomb Records is celebrating the 25th installment in their Bootcamp series by paying tribute to the series that inspired it: Combat’s classic Boot Camp line. Divebomb’s Bootcamp Origins CD is an upgraded reissue of Combat’s original Boot Camp Compilation CD, which featured a trio of Thrash bands – Have Mercy, Napalm and Powermad.
The collection starts off with Baltimore-based thrashers Have Mercy, whose 1986 EP Armageddon Descends is included here. The band, which never did release a full-length album, had plenty of power in their Thrash Metal sound, bringing to mind Forbidden and Overkill.
Next up is Napalm, from New York, who contribute four Nuclear Assault-style Thrash Metal songs. There’s an almost crossover vibe to them.
Minnesota’s Powermad closes the collection with their full 1987 Powermad EP. The band’s 1989 full-length Absolute Power remains an underground classic, and hearing these early recordings shows just how far the band had progressed by then. There’s still plenty of power and melody, but this is a rawer Powermad sound, especially in the vocals. You can really hear the difference on these early versions of “Plastic Town” and “Nice Dreams.”
The Combat Boot Camp Compilation CD has been out of print for quite some time, so it’s good to see it getting a proper reissue. And Divebomb being Divebomb, this is no bare-bones reissue. While it doesn’t include any bonus tracks, the songs have all been newly remastered and the booklet is loaded with a new essay and vintage photos and press clippings. Like the other Bootcamp titles, it is limited to 500 copies.
Bootcamp Origins is a must-have for fans of Have Mercy, Napalm and Powermad, mainly because we’ve never heard these songs sound this good before. Beyond that, fans of classic Thrash Metal and those who have followed Divebomb’s Bootcamp series to date will want to check this one out.
Genre: Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Track Listing:
1. Intro (Have Mercy)
2. Mass Destruction (Have Mercy)
3. City of Doom (Have Mercy)
4. Holy Dismissal (Have Mercy)
5. Faces of Death (Have Mercy)
6. No Forgiveness (Have Mercy)
7. The Monarch (Napalm)
8. Tunnel Rat-All Out Assault (Napalm)
9. Evil Speak (Napalm)
10. Freedom Day (Napalm)
11. Chasing the Dragon (Powermad)
12. Terminator (Powermad)
13. Plastic Town (Powermad)
14. Nice Dreams (Powermad)
15. Blind Leading the Blind (Powermad)
Label: Divebomb Records
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10
