It has been over a decade since Converge and Pig Destroyer established themselves as the kings of hardcore/metal music. Although their music has suffered none from age and it's highly unlikely either will be dethroned anytime soon, fans of aggressive music had been patiently waiting for the new wave of sounds to emerge.
That new wave was defined by more than a few bands: Baroness, Genghis Tron, A Scanner Darkly, Cursed, Unpersons, etc. One band that may have shown the most impressive blend of vision, aggression and heaviness of them all is Trap Them.
Initially known as Trap Them and Kill Them, perhaps the coolest band name ever, Trap Them originate from New Hampshire. Since then, they have become globally recognized by the extreme music underground. Due to the incorporation of many styles of heavy and experimental music, Trap Them aren't easily defined.
They're something you need to hear for yourself, but if you take the over-saturated guitar tones of Entombed, traditional hardcore/crust punk vocals along with the feedback and polyrhythmic drumming of Converge, you might get the picture.
Their second full-length and third release overall, Seizures in Barren Praise, was unleashed upon the metal masses on Nov. 11. Although the record is still brutal enough to kick the ass of any listener who figures Disturbed is heavy stuff, it fails to match the impressiveness of the band's first two releases, especially the Séance Prime EP.
According to Deathwish Incorporated's website, Seizures in Barren Praise is a continuation of the same lyrical concept that existed in Trap Them's first two releases. 'Barren Praise' is a fictional ghost-town where decay and tragedy has apparently run amok, and Trap Them's discography narrates its tale.
The album opener, Fucking Viva,"" sounds like a weird combination of ""We Will Rock You"" and Pig Destroyer's ""Terrifyer."" As feedback creeps from the album's starting point, a sludgy guitar arrangement pairs with a slow, heavy drumbeat while vocalist Ryan McKenney lets loose his familiar scream through a haze of snarling low-end distortion. The noise and tempo eventually pick up, returning to the band's trademark sound.
""Gutterbomb Heaven on the Grid"" shows its ugly face as bloodcurdling writhes and scrapes of static begin to boil, waiting for McKenney's harsh vocals to arrive alongside a sporadic drum arrangement. While the lyrics explain Barren Praise's abandonment, a ghastly bundle of feedback begins to swirl throughout the soundscape, creating a truly creepy atmosphere. As the sonic monstrosity becomes almost suffocatingly crushing, what might be the album's best track, ""Class Warmth,"" prepares its entry.
As a drum blast of mind-bending polyrhythms bursts through, a wild yet technical guitar arrangement tears into the air, bringing an aura of discordance reminiscent of the band's first album, Sleepwell Deconstructor. Seizures is more plodding and sludgy than is typical of Trap Them, and this track is a welcome blast from the not-so-distant past (the band debuted in 2007).
Seizures in Barren Praise lacks the sheer ferocity of Sleepwell Deconstructor and the punk sensibility of Séance Prime. This seems to be because the band attempted to take a slower, more atmospheric approach with this album's sound. It's by no means a failure, but these guys specialize in unabashed carnage, and it's what they should stick with in the future. Their first two masterpieces are only a year old, so they've got plenty of time to get back on track.
