{"product_id":"bat-under-the-crooked-claw-lp-limited-edition-bottle-clear-black-marbled","title":"Bat - Under The Crooked Claw LP (Limited Edition Bottle Clear Black Marbled)","description":"\u003cp\u003eRELEASED FRIDAY 17 MAY 2024\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOur attraction to horror is visceral and undeniable. Racing pulse and sweating palms, and yet you can’t turn away. It’s shocking . . . yet also exhilarating. It’s what keeps us coming back for more, that rush of fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yhxJAke7dMU?si=nBKhiESLo3_2Dy6e\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eRichmond, Virginia metal-punk trio \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e have been delivering their own blood-spattered horror since ascending from the underground a decade ago on a dark, leather-winged trajectory. The brainchild of \u003cb\u003eMUNICPAL WASTE\u003c\/b\u003e guitarist, \u003cb\u003eRyan Waste\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e’s origins actually go back to 2008 when Waste and former D.R.I. drummer, and Texas native, \u003cb\u003eFelix Griffin,\u003c\/b\u003e hatched the idea of working together. “\u003ci\u003eWe’d see each other when I’d pass through Texas,\u003c\/i\u003e” says \u003cb\u003eWaste\u003c\/b\u003e, “\u003ci\u003eand we talked about doing a project where I played all the instruments—guitar, bass, and vocals— and he would drum. We both love Discharge and Celtic Frost and we wanted to do something real straightforward, no frills.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e remained a shadowy concept more than an actual band until Waste enlisted guitarist \u003cb\u003eNick Poulos\u003c\/b\u003e from VOLTURE, the heavy metal project he’d been doing in addition to his \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL WASTE\u003c\/b\u003e duties. As VOLTURE ran out of steam in 2013, \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e took flight with Waste and Poulos crafting a sonic origin story that grew from the original ‘straightforward, no frills’ ethos into something rougher, darker, and laden with an approach that’s straight out of the down-and-dirty side of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eWith Nick’s soaring lead playing, Ryan returned to his distorted bass roots, all rounded out by Felix’s relentless battery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e’s 2013 debut, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePrimitive Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e EP, was recorded on analog reel-to-reel tape in Richmond at the trio’s first rehearsals with Texas-based Griffin. “\u003ci\u003eThat first session was just meant to be a demo tape\u003c\/i\u003e,” says \u003cb\u003eWaste\u003c\/b\u003e. “\u003ci\u003eWe hardly overdubbed anything and kept it loose, as the songs were just taking form. That primitive style became the way the band rolled.\u003c\/i\u003e” This raw demo was nonetheless issued on cassette by Tankcrimes before \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e had even played a show. \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e made their first live appearances opening three shows for SATAN (UK) in April 2014. With more touring to follow, these demo songs matured into their own after being put to the test live. They re-recorded the five demo tracks along with seven new tunes that would become their 2016 debut full-length album \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWings of Chains\u003c\/i\u003e (Hells Headbangers)\u003c\/b\u003e. They released a music video for their namesake song also known as ‘\u003cb\u003eBeware of the BAT\u003c\/b\u003e’ which featured a fully fabricated costume designed by \u003cb\u003eMargaret Rolicki \u003c\/b\u003e(GWAR) based on the album artwork by\u003cb\u003e Christoph Breit\u003c\/b\u003e (Infected Arts).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAfter a series of tragic personal events befell Griffin, he was forced to depart the band in 2017, with his swansong being the \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAxestasy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eEP (recorded in 2017, released in 2019). To replace Griffin, \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e tapped local drummer \u003cb\u003eChris Marshall\u003c\/b\u003e, a vet of D-beat outfit NO TOMORROW, adding the perfect punk foil to Poulos and Waste’s speed metal riffing. “\u003ci\u003eI’ve always preferred punk drumming with a single kick for our style\u003c\/i\u003e,” says \u003cb\u003eWaste\u003c\/b\u003e. “\u003ci\u003eI think his playing suits the band and Chris does it with a lot of soul.”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOnce Marshall joined \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e in 2017, the three were finally able to rehearse on a regular basis since all members were living in the same town for the first time. They were now available to pick up and play gigs on demand, and ultimately made it to Europe supporting NAPALM DEATH right up until the pandemic closed the world down in 2020. Given the opportunity to woodshed uninterrupted, \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e attacked what would become album number two. “\u003ci\u003eThe songs came together incredibly easily and quickly, like something you’d see in a movie\u003c\/i\u003e,”\u003cb\u003e Waste\u003c\/b\u003e explains. “\u003ci\u003eWe were writing together as a three-piece—with drums finally in the room—and the ideas just came flowing out. I’d go home and write lyrics immediately afterwards, the inspiration was palpable.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn June 2021, the trio decamped to Philadelphia where \u003cb\u003eArthur Rizk\u003c\/b\u003e recorded the basic tracks for the new \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e full-length. \u003cb\u003eYavé Rust \u003c\/b\u003etracked lead guitars and vocals later when the band was back in Richmond, ultimately mixed by Rizk. With a newly inked deal with \u003cb\u003eNuclear Blast\u003c\/b\u003e and a new drummer, \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e’s sophomore full-length would be a significant step forward, and \u003cb\u003eWaste and Co\u003c\/b\u003e. were determined to make an impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnder the Crooked Claw\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003edoes just that, right from the perfect mood-setting opener, “\u003cb\u003eUna Torcia Illumina Il Cielo\u003c\/b\u003e,” courtesy of Italian horror soundtrack maestro \u003cb\u003eFabio Frizzi.\u003c\/b\u003e The brief haunting synth piece is like a measured descent into a dank crypt where the living dead erupt with in a fury in the raging ‘\u003cb\u003eVampyre Lore\u003c\/b\u003e.’ Eleven more tales of terror follow in rapid succession with a grisly theme throughout. “\u003ci\u003eI feel like the songs could be short horror stories of their own,\u003c\/i\u003e” notes \u003cb\u003eWaste\u003c\/b\u003e of his lyrical efforts. \u003ci\u003e“The first single, ‘Rite for Exorcism,’ is basically a reverse exorcism, where the girl is accepting the demon into her and she turns it on the preacher. Evil wins in this case\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWaste is known for his love of the NWOBHM, but with\u003cb\u003e BAT\u003c\/b\u003e, he’s taken that influence in a fresh direction on ‘\u003cb\u003eUnder the Crooked Claw\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e’\u003c\/i\u003e, with its tight, concise songs loaded with punchy choruses and lightning-laced leads. “\u003ci\u003eAs big of a heavy metal fan as I am, I think the dirtier side of it fits better with my vocals\u003c\/i\u003e,” he says. “\u003ci\u003eBut we try to push the boundaries in BAT between heavy metal, punk and rock ‘n’ roll to where you can’t quite put your finger on it. Dynamically it all coagulates together with our dirty sound. I call it primitive heavy speed. It’s just the nastiest mix of all of the above.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAnd as for any suggestion that \u003cb\u003eBAT\u003c\/b\u003e is a “\u003ci\u003eside project\u003c\/i\u003e” for Waste and Poulos, Waste is having none of that. “\u003ci\u003eIt’s not just a side project\u003c\/i\u003e,” he states definitively. “\u003ci\u003eEverything I do is full force and this no different. There’s so much more we want to do with it.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black City Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581938725100,"sku":"4065629703714","price":29.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0497\/5912\/5660\/files\/Screenshot2024-03-15at09.26.24.png?v=1710495287","url":"https:\/\/www.blackcityrecords.co.uk\/products\/bat-under-the-crooked-claw-lp-limited-edition-bottle-clear-black-marbled","provider":"Black City Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}