Hardcore legends Trap Them are making the rounds once more with new album, Crown Feral. The band’s fifth full-length was once again recorded with longtime friend and collaborator Kurt Ballou (Converge, Skeletonwitch) at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. The band had only just recently recieved some critical acclaim with 2014's highly aggressive Blissfucker, an album that I enjoyed immensely. I've not been a longtime follower of the band, but nevertheless that previous LP had left enough of an impression to get me excited to hear more. The time has come.
Ballou rarely dissapoints, and Crown Feral keeps his production track record strong. The sludgy opener "Kindred Dirt" is a mammoth introduction on its own, but more importantly it perfectly sets up the sandblacting of "Hellionaires." This one-two punch perfectly sets the tone for the album and prepares us for the circle pit to come. Gigantic waves of distortion alternate with jangly little Converge-esque hooks. The vocals tear through eardrums and vocal chords like a dull, rusty blade. The drumming is feirce, and the mixing perfection. You wanted thick basslines and rollicking punk fury, you got it.
"Prodigala" and "Luster Pendulums" immediately follow as further standout tracks, keeping the early energy flowing like blood from a fresh wound. The guitar parts are insanely infectious and intensely fast. Not to be outdone, the double-bass kick on the former track, offset only by the grimy conclusion, is interminable. The little pace changes do wonders to keep the album moving and maximize impact of every passing moment. Tracks will slow to a crawl only to sock the listener in the teeth full force as the next one starts up without a moment's rest. I have a few favorites on this album, but honestly there is not a single dud to be found.
Hardcore by nature is not the most innovative of genres, but what it lacks in convention groups like Trap Them make up for in sheer, unceasing ferocity. Crown Feral lives up to its name by being both kingly in its proficiency and untamed in its delivery. It is a shotgun backfiring directly into your face. Even slower tracks like "Twitching in the Auras" are some of the heaviest and most heinous of the year. Give these guys a few chugging chords and their inborn convictions and they will spin it into golden razor wire. "Harsh" doesn't even begin to describe it. If you like hardcore, you need this album.