Trap Them

Merging the heavy guitar assault of grindcore with the frantic tempos and lyrical rage of hardcore punk, Trap Them is a band that thrives on creative extremity. Trap Them was formed by vocalist Ryan McKenney, formerly with the noisecore band Backstabbers Inc., and guitarist Brian Vincent Izzi, an ex-member of experimental metal act December Wolves. The two met in 2001 while they were both working at a record store and discovered they had a shared enthusiasm for uncompromising music such as Entombed, Disfear, and Motörhead. After comparing notes on what they wanted to do in rock & roll, McKenney and Izzi began writing songs together using a drum machine, and they self-released a 3" CD-R EP of early Trap Them material 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, Cunt 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. In June 2007, Trap Them went into the studio with producer Kurt Ballou (who had worked with the group on Sleepwell Deconstructor) and recorded their second album, tentatively titled Séance Prime, with bassist Nat Coghlan and drummer Scott DeFusco joining McKenney and Izzi for the sessions.