H-Bomb - Coup de Métal [EP] (1983)

As the Cold War started to finally lose steam in the 1980s, bands would start playing into the whole “chaos and destruction” aspect of the conflict with a now appropriately aggressive kind of music. One of these bands was none other than H-BOMB. Formed in Draveil, a small town in France, in 1982, H-BOMB sought to play faster and more ferociously than their peers. While not the first French band to embrace the then-new speed metal sound – Killers had them beat –, they certainly lived up to their name, playing an outrageous blend of manic yet melodic speedy heavy metal.

By the time 1983 rolled around, H-BOMB had finished up their first offering for the world: an EP titled Coup de Métal. While coming in at just under 21 minutes, H-BOMB would dish out six tracks of glorious carnage, covering everything from nuclear decimation, the history of Attila the Hun, and the overall horror of growing up in a world ravaged by greed – among other things. And while this biographical part is important to the overall makeup of H-BOMB and Coup de Métal, it would be utterly meaningless without the music to go alongside it. Take the political elements of the lyrics, the breakneck tempo of the songs, and the utterly infectious songwriting of Coup de Métal, and you’ve got yourself one stone-cold classic of an EP. But enough history, let’s talk about the music!

Coup de Métal opens with the track “H-Bomb,” which – you guessed it – is about dropping a hydrogen bomb from a B-29 bomber. The song gets moving with fast double-kick drumming that leads into a simple but menacing riff, and ultimately opens into one of the sickest intro verses in all of metal: “Image de mort d'un bombardier, Lancé dans la nuit, Reflet sanglant d'un meurtrier, Lassé de la vie, Moteur hurlant, silence brisé, Attention!, Danger!, Tu es destiné à tuer, Le sort en est jeté // Death image of a bomber, Launched into the night, Bloody reflection of a murderer, Tired of life, Screaming engine, broken silence, Caution! Danger!, You are destined to kill, The die is cast.” Pair the imagery of the lyrics with the piercing high vocals of Didier Izard and you’ll feel like you’re the one dropping the bomb.

“Dans les griffes d'Attila” follows next, with a killer driving riff and several subtle melodic touches that not only boosts the song’s replayability, but also leaves it fresh in your mind for days on end. “Chasseur de frime” and “Le loup” come next, closing off Side Atomic and opening Side Metallic of the EP, each with fantastic choruses and superb riffage. Coup de Métal closes with “Condamné à mort,” about being sentenced to death over an unfair trial, and (bet you didn’t see this coming) the title track, “Coup de métal,” about being beaten down by a world fueled by corruption.

All in all, there’s very little I can say about this EP from here. It’s brilliant, fast, energetic, melodic, and to put it very simply: something you MUST listen to. So go on… what’re you waiting for?!

Encyclopædia Metallum

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Originally published in Aug. '24 (Issue No. 4)