Time Signature Damned to the core...

Genre: black speed metal

If it ain't broke, why fix it? This seems to be Witchtrap's attitude towards speed metal, as they concentrate completely old school black speed metal on their latest album "Vengeance Is My Name" (awesome cover artwork, by the way).

The listener is treated to songs built around classic metal figures played at double speed with the occasional heavy galloping guitar showing up. Old school and uninnovative? Yes, perhaps, but what they do, they do well, and tracks like 'Put To Death', 'Winds of War', 'Venomous Breath', 'Metal', and 'I'll Take Your Head' definitely do justice to the time-honored genre of speed metal. If you want speed metal, then this album is it.

The performance is precise, and Mr. Burning Axe Ripper's (or Carlos Mario Uribe, if you want to be unmetal) angry sneering vocals suit the music perfectly. He sings with a considerable Spanish accent, but, you know what, I think that's cool. It's underground. It's authentic! It's metal! The production is not polished, but far from lo-fi let alone underproduced.

Fans of old school speed metal bands like Demona, Acid Evil, Deathhammer and the like, should definitely check out "Vengeance Is My Name" - it has all the virtues of good speed metal.