Trauma

Trauma is a seminal American heavy metal band formed in 1981 in San Francisco. They are most historically significant for being the launching pad for bassist Cliff Burton, whose innovative, distortion-heavy lead bass style was developed during his tenure with the group before he was recruited by Metallica.

Their debut album, 'Scratch and Scream' (1984), is considered a cult classic of the speed metal subgenre, blending the melodic sensibility of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with the emerging aggression of the US thrash scene. After disbanding in 1985, the group remained dormant for nearly three decades, re-emerging in 2013. Despite the loss of original vocalist Donny Hillier in 2020, the band has maintained continuity through drummer Kris Gustofson. Their modern output, including 'As the World Dies' and 'Awakening', leans into a more polished, contemporary power-thrash sound while retaining the high-register vocal style and technical guitar work of their origins. They occupy a unique space in metal history as both a 'what-if' curiosity and a surviving practitioner of the original Bay Area metal ethos.