I was meant to see Bat back in 2020. They were on a bill in London with Napalm Death, Rotten Sound and EyHateGod.  I decided not to go in the end. I was due to see all the bands later on in the year at various other gigs and fests. It was March 2020 what could stop me hey?

Ahem.

Now here I am 4 years later listening to the new album Under the Crooked Claw by the power trio of metal punks. The band is Ryan Waste’s lovechild alongside Nick Poulos ex live DRI guitarist and Chris Charge on drums.

Bat take the energy of Motorhead and Accept mix in some classic Maiden NWOBHM add in the inevitable thrash-back beer suds and mix with some FOAD era Darkthrone speed metal to make an album of party metal.

It’s nostalgic and fun much like Midnight’s “Hellish Expectations” that came out earlier this year. Unlike the man in the mask Bat sound a little too polished which is something I have always felt about Ryan’s Municipal brothers.

There are some great tracks on here which get the fist and heart pumping but it feels like the three guys are off to a Halloween party dressed as Eddie Munster. Hey there is nothing wrong with that – metal is meant to be fun and there are far too many po-faced motherfuckers in this world throwing shapes and being TROO, gatekeepers. I am all for frivolity. I just don’t believe this. The fun feels forced to me.  I gotta recognise my own prejudices though as I always have this thought lurking when it comes to the pizza thrash of Ryan’s other band.

That aside tracks like “Streetbanger” got me going – bringing back memories of Metal Racer by Warlock and early Accept. Waste’s vocals are an acquired taste and it took me a mo to get tuned into his hoarse Fenriz meets Zed from Police Academy stylings. Once I am board though I dig it – just wish it wasn’t so clean sounding.

Plenty of Motorheadbangers throughout the album with WarShock sounding like a hybrid of Lemmy and Co and Municipal Waste.

The baker’s dozen of tracks fly by and the pace does not let up. Time flies but the fun is a little shallow – I enjoyed this album but there is little there that would make me seek it out again. A couple of tracks will get thrown kicking and screaming into a playlist and see my throwing shapes with my headphones on but this is one Bat I am happy to send back to the bell-tower after a couple of listens.

(6.5/10 Matt Mason)  

https://www.facebook.com/bewareofthebat

https://bewareofthebat.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-crooked-claw