Album Review: Trap Them – Crown Feral (Prosthetic Records)

Trap Them’s brand of grindcore/hardcore is hardly going to win marks for originality but with new album Crown Feral they can at least be pleased with the heaviness of their output.

The ten tracks on show here are uncompromisingly brutal but with a good production job that helps the guitar tones really stand out. It’s a short album coming in at just over half an hour, over before you know it & if you’re a fan of grind you’re sure to hit repeat.

Songs like Hellionaires, Luster Pendulums and Twitching in the Auras standout from the pack by having differing paces, hypnotic guitar strumming & drum beats that beg you to head-bang along. There really isn’t a terrible song here but likewise there isn’t a standout one either.

If the album is let down amywhere it’s with the overly familiar vocals. It makes picking these songs apart often difficult when not focusing on the guitars. It’s the sort of raspy throat stuff we’ve heard a hundred times over in hardcore & although it falls onto the stronger side it still doesn’t excite.

Crown Feral isn’t going to change the heavy metal world but it’s still a great piece of grinding hardcore that is filled to the brim with aggression & energy. If you’ve got half an hour spare, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Full Track List:

1. Kindred Dirt
2. Hellionaires
3. Prodigala
4. Luster Pendulums
5. Malengines Here, Where They Should Be
6. Speak Nigh
7. Twitching in the Auras
8. Revival Spines
9. Stray of the Tongue
10. Phantom Air