If 2014’s Blissfucker was Trap Them’s progressive showing (as progressive as you can get when you’ve been worshipping classic Entombed, Napalm Death, Rotten Sound and the HM-2 pedal since 2001) then Crown Feral is a scuffing up of those remaining refined edges.
Five albums in and the Boston bashers are experiencing a revitalisation; not only is there greater reference to the unkempt pulsation and punked-up speed of their early works, but the latest incarnation sounds like a fully fledged unit primed for attack.
Drummer Brad Fickeisen isn’t just playing time-keeper; you can feel the music moving with him during the tempo changes in Hellionaires and Prodigala, while bassist Galen Baudhuin throws in flashes of walking warmth to counter guitarist Brian Izzi’s harsh single-note lashing and power-chord thump. There’s a peppy injection of old-school metal in Luster Pendulums and Revival Spines, whose summoning of Screaming For Vengeance-era Priest riff blasts work to everyone’s advantage and especially well with Ryan McKenney’s scathing bellow. At just over 30 minutes, Crown Feral acts like a prize fighter – getting in, hitting hard and making maximum impact – plus proud luddites can put it on the flipside of their cassette dub of Reign In Blood.
