Review: WITCHTRAP – Hungry as the Beast

Year: 2024
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Rating: 8,4 / 10

They say that there is nothing eternal in the world, and sometimes you can agree with this. German manufacturers of once-durable cars have slipped into the production of plastic shit with a 5-year term of service and heated seats for a separate monthly subscription. The great Harley-Davidson concern switched to ”ecological" motorcycles, betraying not only the principles, but the very essence of the company. Manchester United and the Brazilian national team, once the undisputed elite of world football, look incredibly weak today. The list goes on.

On the other hand, there is great and unchaneable Coca-Cola, and then there is the Colombian band WITCHTRAP, which is probably physically unable to disappoint me. They take their toll by quality: one album every 4 years or so, and on these albums there is nothing but crystal clear, one hundred percent correct Thrash Metal. WITCHTRAP's music doesn't change at all, as changes are required only for those who do something wrong, and these Colombians are always great. For the same reason, I see no point in diving into a detailed description of its sound; for this, refer to the old reviews. I've been reviewing WITCHTRAP albums since my Metallibrary.ru days.

About "Hungry as the Beast" I can say that it turned out to be a little weaker than the previous "Evil Strikes Again", where WITCHTRAP staged a real orgy of hellish destruction. The new album is more rock'n'roll-ish and contains fewer unforgettable moments, but the difference is actually quite small. The songs are still aggressive, assertive and vicious; there is no time to rest. The traditional lyrics about evil and metal are excellent, eloquent and and perfectly perceived by the naked ear. I also note that WITCHTRAP is now completely different from the old KREATOR, unlike in the early 2000s. Perhaps there are some changes in their music after all...

The best part here is that in the 4th decade of their career, WITCHTRAP are finally starting to get the fruits of their hard work. They recently went on a tour of Europe, now they regularly play live and enjoy media activity around their name. It seems that European promoters have begun to realize that real metal now needs to be imported from South America, since other bands from there also travel Europe lately. I can only hope that they won't embrace the spirit of faggotry that possessed current Western European metal scene and will not bring this infection back to their homelands.