Necrolust: Witchtrap, Blackrat, Throaat, Promiscuity
WITCHTRAP
Until this past weekend, Witchtrap were one of those bands I thought I’d never see live. There was always the hope that I’d come across them at some particularly tuned-in European festival or another, but I definitely couldn’t have guessed I’d have a shot at seeing them play one of my favorite bars. Thanks to a few intrepid promoters, though, lucky diehards in a small handful of American cities were given a rare chance to get up close and personal with old of extreme metal’s finest. Saint Vitus Bar was packed with what seemed like NYC’s entire Satanic Hispanic population, a roiling sea of black leather, flying hair, and, eventually blood. “Colombia, number one!” was one of my favorite of the roared crowd responses, though there were plenty; Witchtrap spoke primarily in Spanish (duh) but their relentless onslaught of black leather metal damnation needed no translation.
Formed in 1991 in the Sudamerican trash metal hotbed of Medellín, Colombia, Witchtrap followed in the footsteps of primitive pioneers like Profecia, Reencarnación, Blasfemia, and Parabellum by churning out profane high-octane black/thrash that, much like spiritual peers in Abigail, celebrated metal, booze, and damnation in the same breath. Needless to say, they rule. In the spirit of Witchtrap, here are a couple newer bands that would’ve fit in just fine alongside them – one of which, Throaat, actually opened the show, and are the best band NYC’s choked up in ages…
THROAAT
Throaat may have only been playing shows for a few months, but they’ve already won my heart with the filthy speed-infected black/death on their first demo, Puke On Your Grave. They know what they’re doing, too; the songs are incredibly well-conceived and executed (especially for a first demo!) and the dynamic range is on point: the ominous synth instrumental, “Weep On No Grave,” lends a nice creepy touch, and hemorrhages into the unhinged intensity of “Genocidal Cyborg Wrath” with panache to spare. There’s a strong Bestial Mockery vs. Mortuary Drape (circa ‘Secret Sudaria’) vibe, and of course plenty of Bulldozer, Celtic Frost, and Bathory too. In short, this shit is evil, and I can’t wait to hear more! Listen to the demo below and buy it here.
BLACKRAT
Calgary’s Blackrat toe the party line a bit more, hugging tight to their Venom records with one arm while sifting through a stack of Sodom posters with the other. I bet they’ve got a bunch of Toxic Holocaust demos tucked away, too, judging by the breakneck speed metal on their demo. Blackrat’s debut album is out now on Xnihilo Records, and is graced with the kind of album title that is almost comforting in its unabashed simplicity: ‘Whiskey and Blasphemy.’ I’d much rather listen to a record that pulls zero punches and does what it says on the tin than something all dolled up with an esoteric sixteen word Latin name (though I do love me some of those, too). The full-length is more focused and ferocious than their first effort, leaning more heavily towards black/thrash and easing up on the crust and speed. Trust me, it works. Listen below and buy it here.
PROMISCUITY
I haven’t been able to stop listening to the new EP from this Israeli outfit since one of the guys (not sure if it came from Werewolf, Butcher, or Steel) was so kind as to email me a link. For now, Promiscuity functions as a rip-roaring side project for a few members of the more deadly serious Sonne Adam (who are brilliant in an entirely different way – look up their Armed with Hammers EP, it’s way rawer than the newer stuff). What we’ve got here is straight-up black/speed metal of the Midnight persuasion – they even refer to it as “Infernal Rock’n’Roll,” which sums it up tidily. It’s ugly, fast, and just a little sloppy, with razor-edged riffs and sweet solos skittering overtop straightforward beats and hoarse vocals. And their Celtic Frost cover is fucking fantastic, too. I’m totally addicted. Listen below and buy it here.
