Merging the heavy guitar assault of metal with the frantic tempos and lyrical rage of hardcore punk, Trap Them is a band that thrives on creative extremity. The band was formed in 2002 by vocalist Ryan McKenney (Backstabbers Inc.) and guitarist Brian Vincent Izzi (December Wolves), who shared an enthusiasm for uncompromising acts such as Entombed, Disfear, and Black Flag. The two friends began writing songs together using a drum machine, self-releasing an EP that sold out its first pressing of 100 copies at the merch table during a Backstabbers Inc. tour. By 2004, both McKenney and Izzi had parted ways with their other bands, and Trap Them cohered into a steady lineup with Derek Black on bass and Mike Sharp on drums. In early 2007, the group joined forces with Trash Art Records to release a 7" vinyl EP, C**t Heir to the Throne, quickly followed by a full-length album, Sleepwell Deconstructor. Trap Them toured heavily behind the album, which earned rave reviews in the underground press, and in the spring of 2007, noted hardcore label Deathwish Inc. signed the band. Tours with Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror preceded their sophomore LP, Seizures in Barren Praise, which arrived in late 2008. Uncompromising in both sound and approach, the band continued to tour heavily, remaining prolific enough to deliver both a new EP, 2010's Filth Rations, and a third LP, Darker Handcraft, a year later. The album was their first release for Prosthetic Records, which would also handle 2014's unrelenting Blissfucker. It was notable for being the first record to include new bassist Galen Baudhuin (Infera Bruo) and drummer Brad Fickeisen (No Salvation, the Red Chord), and was produced, once again, by Trap Them's longtime collaborator Kurt Ballou of the band Converge. Their fifth album, Crown Feral, arrived in September 2016. ~ Mark Deming & Timothy Monger