Review Summary: Watch your ass Converge
In case you were wondering, Trap Them is one of the most pissed off bands out there. They take the speed and chaos of Converge, the riffs and attitude of Every Time I Die, and throw a little grind into the mix just to be safe. Trap Them is breakneck at all times, pulling no punches and taking no breaks. They are unbridled anger masquerading as music. In the thirty-one minutes from start to finish, you are thrown about, disoriented, and taken on a terrifying rollercoaster ride through the depths of hell. You are given nary a chance to breathe, as the fear of your legs being taken out from under you pervades the album. There is also a very sinister edge to the whole thing, as if the album is dripping with Danzig’s blood.
Until the last track, there is no point where things lighten up, or slow down.
Darker Handcraft is an album with riffs that spiral with discordance and fast, technical drumming that creates a sturdy backbone in an album that would fall apart without it. Trap Them has never had a full-time drummer until the entrance of Chris Maggio (formerly of Coliseum) who makes his presence known from the outset. Brian Izzi’s guitar work amazes, playing riffs that are a mile a minute, cutting in every direction. The true star of the album, however, is Ryan McKenney, whose venomous bark lifts each song to a new level, displaying hatred and desperation. The opening track, “Damage Prose”, is a good barometer for how the rest of the album is going to play out as well as being one of the strongest tracks. The best tracks on the album, however, are “All By The Constant Vulse” and the closer “Scars Align.” “All By The Constant Vulse” shows the band at their very best, with tremendous chemistry between guitars and percussion. Everything is fast and chaotic but there is never a second where things seem out of place. By contrast, “Scars Align” is by far the slowest song on the album in terms of tempo, and is surrounded by a crushing riff that seeps into your brain.
Trap Them has essentially perfected their brand of hardcore without making any huge changes to their sound, just tightening up all the pieces that were already there. There is no fat to be heard, no filler throughout the entire album.
Darker Handcraft represents the pinnacle of a career that is still in its early stages and yet are miles ahead of their contemporaries. Hopefully with this album Trap Them gets the true respect and recognition they deserve, because this is as good as it gets.
