Review by Vladimir on April 22, 2024.

Two years ago, when I went to see the band Terrorhammer play in my local town of Novi Sad, one of the supporting acts on their European tour was the veteran Colombian black/thrash metal band Witchtrap. Both bands successfully delivered that night with all the powers of hell, and from that moment on, it managed to pique my interest in Witchtrap's discography. As of recently, Witchtrap have announced the release of their sixth full-length album Hungry As The Beast, which although scheduled for release on 8 May 2024, the digital version of the album was released on all streaming platforms on 8 April 2024 due to an error by the digital distributor CDBaby. Despite this small error, it didn't stop the crazed fanbase from jumping at the opportunity to check it out, especially myself who was very excited about the album. If anything, it's a good excuse for us writers and journalists to take a look at the album, and see just how much is Witchtrap really "Hungry As The Beast".

With relentless and blood-pulsing energy, Witchtrap commences its black thrash attack from the very get-go, with the title of the first track loudly stating that this hungry beast is 'Built For The Kill'. The chorus of the second track that says "I am Hungry as The Beast, so pay the price" is a perfect tagline of this album that tells you exactly what you're about to face from here on out. It's all a matter of devilish rock and roll that flows through the fast riffing and drumming, with unholy rage coming out of the harsh vocals by Burning Axe Ripper, altogether creating a very effective killing machine full of speed, testosterone and 'Ruthless Aggression', just as the title of the third track suggests. The only example on this album that is a stylistic departure is the seventh track 'Invocation' for its primary use of mid-tempo rhythm in a somewhat traditional heavy metal fashion, as opposed to the established thrash metal direction that is the strongest factor of Witchtrap's music. There will be more instances of mid-tempo rhythm in the following track 'Cauldron Of Abominations', but for the most part the song maintains the primary style of black/thrash metal.

The overall songwriting that Witchtrap incorporated for this album is quite simple and straightforward with its standard oldschool black/thrash metal, but nevertheless it's very on point and effective throughout the entire album, where you don't feel the balls drop as the album progresses. Despite the riffs mostly sounding all too familiar and typical for this kind of subgenre, it's undeniable that they are incredibly headbanging catchy and tight all the way through, keeping that strong punch in the guts and relentless force all the way to the very last track 'Lightning Attack'. Those who are not very familiar with Witchtrap will notice that their music draws a lot of influence from 80's thrash metal acts, primarily the teutonic thrash metal examples such as Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Violent Force and Exumer, who have also been key to the development of significant black/thrash metal bands like Aura Noir, Cruel Force and Deathhammer. The general drive of the album is consistent and it will definitely make sure to keep you engaged from start to finish without losing any interest, but that all depends on the matter whether you are here to search for a needle in a haystack, or just looking for some good old fashioned ultra-violence. Apart from the awesome output of Witchtrap, the bestial and demonic cover art by Juan Felipe Mora Ibanez fits perfectly with their music, with every detail conveying the essence of the album.

Even though Hungry As The Beast was mistakenly released on digital streaming just one month shy of its initial release date, it certainly didn't spoil the fun and the awesomeness that this album provides. Witchtrap's music has always been "in your face" and "no bullshit", and what we have here is another example that maintains that significant aspect of their music, while also quenching the thirst of every oldschool metal maniac. Witchtrap means business, and business is good. If you are into oldschool black/thrash metal, you should not waste any time further, and instead you should go to check out Hungry As The Beast as soon as possible.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Krys on December 17, 2001.

Although “The Immortality Murder” is Scholomance’s second album, it marks the very first time that I’ve even heard their name. Most probably there are two main reason’s for it; for one, I’m not the biggest black metal fan (which means I’m not dying to get everything what’s out there, but I know my way around) and secondly, black metal and the US didn’t mix very well so domestic releases from this genre couldn’t find their way to my player very easily and even if they did, they wouldn’t last there for long, till now.

Hailing from Willard, Missouri, this trio has everything that’s required to make it to the top and I mean it. In an attempt to illustrate Scholomance’s musicianship, I’m jeopardizing myself with serious finger injuries trying to type the words that will describe their talents and skills. What they do with their instruments, including vocals is just insane. If they spent more than a few seconds on one tone on the entire album, then I wasn’t able to notice it. After a full listening the only word I could muster was “WOW!” followed by a long period of silence wondering what the hell just happened. Whatever definition of the word complex you might have, Scholomance simply redefines its meaning.

But it doesn’t take three virtuosos to create great music and that’s what set Scholomance apart from most of its peers. At first the chaos of riffs, solos and effects can overwhelm and cause a serious headache, but with each spin it makes more sense and falls into logical pieces. The only track that might take exception to that statement is ‘Absence/ Contorted Porcelain Faced-Bitch’, which caused so much damage that to this day I’m still unable to recover my nervous system after an 8 minute dose of their psychedelics. So, don’t expect to love this album after the first spin, unless you are already riding on heavy drugs... which brings me to my biggest problem with “The Immortality Murder”. As much as I love it right now, it wasn’t the case when we met for the first time and some of my friends still look at me with an ironic smile when I blast my speakers inhaling those psychedelic notes. This album might just be a little bit too much for a casual listener who just wants his ass kicked on the way to work or school.

Production-wise there is not much to complain about either. Although it’s more of a personal taste issue, at times the drums could use more bottom rather then sounding so much like a machine and a couple times a little backed up vocals would satisfy my cravings.

Bottom Line: The best black metal doesn’t only come from Norway anymore. If you’ve been searching for a mix of Emperor and Arcturus, look no further.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 9
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10