Bat - Under the Crooked Claw (2024)

4★

When BAT originally appeared as a side project of Municipal Waste under the helm of Ryan Waste, I knew they’d be both a good band and a fun band. With this as their second release, they’ve only upped the ante with tighter arrangements and more thoughtful songwriting. Granted, with a band like BAT, we’re not really after songs of great emotion, but it does matter that the songs make you headbang. In that regard, I would say their songwriting has improved greatly, with each song having a memorable riff, some cool vocal melodies, and the necessary amount of furious drumming to make them adrenaline-inducing. If you like unserious and fun music, the speed metal assault of BAT should be right up your alley.

FAVORITE TRACKS: “Vampyre Lore,” “Streetbanger,” “Revenge of the Wolf”

FOR FANS OF: Motörhead, Municipal Waste, Whiplash

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Originally published in Aug. '24 (Issue No. 4)