Seriously people, its about time we start talking about New Hampshire’s Trap Them as one of the US’s best kept metal secrets, as with their second full length album, the band has once again delivered a sonic donkey punch that mixes crusty chaos and hardcore (think Converge), Rotten Sound and the midrange pummeling of Wolverine Blues era Entombed.

Featuring Brian Izzi of US underrated black metal pioneers December Wolves (Completely Dehumanized remains a landmark album for me) and Ryan McKenney of hardcore stalwarts Backstabbers Inc, Trap Them, in their short but productive career (2 albums, 3 splits/Eps) have evolved into a simply punishing act that has evolved from their more crust and grindcore roots to a more developed and restrained act with a truly potent sound and delivery.

Continuing the “days” (though out of sequence) from their prior releases, Barren Praise tells ten fictional tales of the town Barren Praise and delivers them in mostly short bursts of crusty, virulent fury (“Day Twenty Eight: Targets”, “Day Twenty Nine: Reincarnation Of Lost Lones”, “Day Twenty Five: Guignol Serene”, blistering “Day Twenty Three: Invertopia/Day Thirty: Class Warmth” and “Day Twenty One: Roam/Day Twenty Two: Absent Civilian”) and moments of grooving, utterly pummeling lurches (“Day Nineteen: Fucking Viva”, mid section of “Day Twenty Six: Angles Anonymous In Transit”, “Day Twenty: Flesh & Below”, “Day Twenty Four: Gutterbomb Heaven On The Grid” and heaving, seven-minute closer “Day Thirtyone: Mission Convincers”), which cement the Entombed reference. Both styles rendered with a face ripping Kurt Ballou sound that comes across like Mieszko Talarczyk’s best work sent through Sunlight Studios, a gravel filter and 5 vials of meth. It reeks of the kind of energy, ferocity and mix of styles that The Red Chord once had on Fused Together in Revolving Doors.

I’m really glad Deathwish Inc. picked this band up and has released 2 efforts, though both leave me craving more. This is an American band kids and the media should be paying attention to rather than pandering to the likes of Job For a Cowboy and Suicide Silence and other such wigger metal bands.

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