Review BAT “Under the Crooked Claw”

The roots of BAT go back to 2008 when Municipal Waste guitarist Ryan Waste and former D.R.I. drummer Felix Griffin developed the idea of a project. What sparked this musical collaboration was a shared passion for bands like Discharge and Celtic Frost. The guys wanted to do something more straightforward and BAT was the outlet for this musical vision.

After releasing a demo and a couple of singles, BAT premiered in 2016 with an album called ‘Wings of Chains’, which was the springboard for the guys to sign a deal with Nuclear Blast Records.

BAT today consists of founding members Ryan Waste (v/b), Nick Poulos (g) and Chris Marshall (d). This trio recorded the second BAT album called “Under the Crooked Claw” which contains 13 tracks and what fans can expect is a furious fusion of metal with an untamed punk spirit. Combined with a solid portion of rock vibes the album is an energetic affair with just one of the songs clocking in at four minutes. What these guys offer is a wild journey through the fields of blistering, uncompromising speed metal.

“Under the Crooked Claw” is an album built on horror and vampires with an intro that sets the scene for the song to follow. “Una Torcia Illumina Il Cielo” is the title of the intro, which comes from the Italian maestro of horror soundtracks, Fabio Frizzi. The synth-driven intro is different from the rest of the album, yet it frames the mood of this release.

The first blast out of the speakers is ‘Vampyre Love’, a furious speed metal track with plenty of 80s references. Yet BAT give their music a more modern expression when it comes to sound. It is more the spirit of their music, with its roughness referring to the heyday of speed metal.

A highlight of the album is ‘Streetbanger’. Metal, punk and rock define the fascination of this ferocious metal tune, and a song that follows a similar approach is ‘Warshock’. The latter is perfect for live shows as the title is ideal for a shout-a-long during live events. Also worth mentioning is “Bastardised Force”. The track comes towards the end of the album and crosses the four minute mark. We don’t face any jaw-dropping fretboard acrobatics, but the song shows the potential of this trio, which is more than just pushing the metal.

“Under the Crooked Claw” is a raw and unbridled metal release that inhales the spirit of heavy metal. Well done.