The second full-length (if a 25-minute CD counts) by arty Seattle-based punk-grindcore quartet
Trap Them is noisier, heavier, and more dissonant than their debut. Producer Kurt Ballou (better known as the guitarist for
Converge) continues to shape their sound into a bass-heavy, live-in-your-face assault. There's less of a D-beat punk element to their sound now, and a fuller, even more distorted edge of Swedish death metal creeping in; when they slow down (which isn't often), they get pretty close to
Entombed territory. This is particularly true on "Mission Convincers," the seven-minute death march that closes the album. Meanwhile, "Gutterbomb Heaven on the Grid" showcases the band's arty side, with distant melodies, static, and martial drumming underpinning the vocalist's harsh, almost
Jaz Coleman-like chanting.
Seizures in Barren Praise is a ferocious, impressive demonstration of all of
Trap Them's many virtues, none of which is easy on the ears, exactly, but all of which are worth experiencing. ~ Phil Freeman