Witchtrap-Vengeance Is My Name

I would be wrong to say that Witchtrap play in the exact vein of countless black/thrash bands. Their style more fun to toy around with, bringing forth influences mainly from early speed metal bands, a lot like recent bands such as Deathhammer and Midnight. Because I was expecting a more straightforward aggressive black/thrash sound, I approached the album with a bit of anticipation because admittedly, I had never heard of the band before. Overall ''Vengeance Is My Name'' is still nothing that I've never heard of before, but it was morbid curiosity and avarice which drove me towards the album.

Although many of the stylings are styles that have been repeated over and over with simplistic yet catchy riffage, the album still provides a fair amount of enterntainment, despite monotonous effect that it appies on the listener after several listens. If there is something that will save the album from complete repetetiveness and lack of variety, it's the catchiness. The riffs are fast yet stable but they are ridicolously catchy in their own way. The intro riffs from ''Damned To The Core'' is an astonishingly decent display of catchiness and energy with a more melodious and pessimistic feel than many other riffs on the record. The mid paced verse-chorus cruncher on ''Queen Of Hell'' is a stomping heavy and blithe track that can be considered a good and plain type of its kind.  ''Venomous Breath'' also holds the listeners attention for as long as its well-constructed, techy intro riff can go. So ''Vengeance Is My Name'' actually has a variety of fun riffage spread in a dim spectrum, though unfortunately the manifestation of the indulgent riffage is much less widespread than the typical ones.

The one big gap on ''Vengeance Is My Name'' is the lack of proper atmosphere and ambiance which is usually much more common in other black/thrash acts. In contrast to bands like Ketzer or Deathhammer, Witchtrap doesen't keep the atmosphere department as the main focal point. In fact, it wouldn't be false to say that there isn't even an atmosphere department, something that I would love to drown in. It's obvious that band is trying to sound as callous and ominiously evil as possible, though in my opinion their strongest bet in achieving that is through concentration on the vocal department, which isn't even that sordid or blasphemously dark. They have a strong resemblance to Millie Petrozza in his earlier days, sounding a bit like Kreator when the riffs behind get heavier and thrashier. Tracks like ''Metal'' or the title track are dispicably sordid, compared to the other tracks. They have faster, chunkier riffage and the deliverance is quite well done, especially when the vocals feel like they have more backbone and the riffs are deployed upon a more monolithic structure.

Sinister and evil may not the thing on ''Vengeance Is My Name'', but it certainly is catchy and notably groovy. The riffs on  this album are not bad, but clearly, the quality riffage needs increase in number if they are to boast the overall convenience in characteristics. There is a fine line between the more monotonous riffage and the riffs that stand-out better than the others, and all Witchtrap has to do is add more men to the weaker side. Atmosphere wouldn't kill too, especially when the music is somehow connected to black metal, which is a genre obviously well-known for its epic aand atmspherric incursions. Though depite these, ''Vengeance Is My Name'' can be an entertaining listen from time time, and even more enjoyable if you don't mind repetetiveness.

Highlights:
Damned To The Core
Metal
I'll Take Your Head

Rating: 83%