In no uncertain terms “Darker Handcraft” is a vicious assault. Trap Them‘s pulsing ferocity and unchecked restraint reek of blood, sweat and determination. A lives worth of aggression tempered through blown amps and rat piss-soaked clubs channeled expertly here by the capable hands of Converge‘s Kurt Ballou – who oversaw the production of this release.

A fierce statement, “Darker Handcraft” proceeds at a blistering pace that leaves the listener almost gasping for air. Combining the abrasive edges of Converge, with the D.I.Y. vitriol of Cursed (especially on “The Facts“) and the blackened death ‘n’ roll Entombed helped make famous; the band have become the aural equivalent of a concertina wire filled tornado.

Loud, harsh and discordant; the outings punishing momentum sees the group push through a whirlwind of searing noise-laden distortion with bloodied, bare knuckled tenacity. Few bands are able to take on such an unrelenting approach. Even when Trap Them capitalize on a slower tempo, the imposing wall of noise they present remains infinitely sinister and claustrophobic.

True the band aren’t exactly peerless. Doomriders have been mining a similar, though admittedly far less menacing, territory as of late. But with a seemingly unending supply of malevolent persistence and wretchedly barbed riffage; this album sees Trap Them emerge as a darkened force evil enough to ensure that the floppy haired, neck tattooed legions will never be able to fully hijack the scene.

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  ( 12 votes, 3.67 stars )
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