Trap Them
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Salem, New Hampshire , United States |
| Products | Music albums, extended plays |
Trap Them was a hardcore punk group originating from Salem, New Hampshire, established in 2001. Throughout their career, they produced five full-length albums and five extended plays, one of which was a collaborative split EP with Extreme Noise Terror.
History
Formed as a side endeavor in 2001 by Ryan McKenney—then lead vocalist of Backstabbers Incorporated—and Brian Izzi, who briefly played second guitar for Backstabbers Incorporated and was a steady member of December Wolves, Trap Them came together after the two met while working at Newbury Comics in Salem. The band's name was inspired by Joe D'Amato's 1977 film Trap Them And Kill Them. Their initial release was a self-issued MCD under the name Trap Them and Kill Them. Both McKenney and Izzi departed from Backstabbers Incorporated in 2008 to dedicate themselves fully to Trap Them.
Their first studio album, Sleepwell Deconstructor, debuted on April 3, 2007. Early in 2008, the band toured Europe alongside the Ocean and Rotten Sound. They also partnered with crust punk outfit Extreme Noise Terror for a split EP and embarked on a U.S. tour supporting Napalm Death. Later that year, in November, their sophomore album Seizures in Barren Praise was released. The following year, they appeared at the annual Maryland Deathfest and toured across the United States with acts such as Victims, Black Breath, Skeletonwitch, and Saviours.
In 2010, the band issued the EP Filth Rations, initially as a limited run of fifty cassette copies distributed at the Scion Rock Festival. Southern Lord Records subsequently re-released it on 12" vinyl, featuring artwork by Justin Bartlett.
March 2011 saw the release of their third full-length record, Darker Handcraft, under Prosthetic Records—marking their first project with this label since signing in 2009. To promote the album, Trap Them toured Europe with Rotten Sound.
On April 7, 2014, they announced that their fourth album, Blissfucker, had been completed; it was released on June 10 of the same year. This record introduced new members Galen Baudhuin (Infera Bruo) on bass and Brad Fickeisen (No Salvation, formerly of The Red Chord) on drums.
Their fifth and final studio effort, Crown Feral, arrived on September 23, 2016 via Prosthetic Records. Produced once more by Kurt Ballou at God City studio, the album showcased artwork by Mattias Frisk.
Trap Them wrapped up their journey with three farewell performances in November 2017 across New York City, Montreal, and Boston before officially disbanding.
Musical style and influences
The band's sound is identified with genres such as grindcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, and metalcore. A hallmark of their music is the prominent use of the Boss HM-2 guitar pedal, which delivers a signature tone famously associated with Swedish death metal bands. According to Metal Injection, their style fuses elements of hardcore/punk, d-beat rhythms, and grindcore with death metal riffs reminiscent of groups like Grave.
Trap Them drew inspiration from hardcore and crust punk pioneers including Black Flag, Born Against, and Tragedy, as well as metal bands such as Dismember and Entombed.
Members
- Final lineup
- Brian Izzi – guitar (2001–2017)
- Ryan McKenney – vocals (2001–2017)
- Brad Fickeisen – drums (2013–2017)
- Galen Baudhuin – bass (2013–2017)
- Former members
- Nat Coghlan – bass (2006–2007)
- Scott DeFusco – drums (2006–2007)
- Mike Sharp – drums (2007–2008)
- Derek Black – bass (2007)
- Stephen LaCour – bass (2007–2011)
- Mike Justian – drums (2008–2009)
- Chris Maggio – drums (2009–2013)
Timeline
Studio albums
- Sleepwell Deconstructor (2007, released by Trash Art!)
- Seizures in Barren Praise (2008, under Deathwish)
- Darker Handcraft (2011, through Prosthetic)
- Blissfucker (2014, distributed by Prosthetic)
- Crown Feral (2016, issued by Prosthetic)
EPs and splits
- 77K7 (self-released, 2002)
- Cunt Heir to the Throne (Trash Art!, 2007)
- Séance Prime (Deathwish, 2007)
- Extreme Noise Terror / Trap Them (split with Extreme Noise Terror) (Deathwish, 2008)
- Filth Rations (Southern Lord, 2010)
Compilation appearances
- People Don't Take Pictures of Things They Want to Forget (2003)
External links
- Trap Them artist profile at Prosthetic Records
- Trap Them on Deathwish Inc.
- Interview with Ryan McKenney on The Bone Reader