Witchtrap's style of thrash may lyrically be a homage to dirty, punk-influenced metal of the Mötorhead or Venom variety, but their style on the not-so-creatively-named Trap the Witch, recently re-released by Hells Headbangers, is a smooth, clean attack with very little dirt to clog the well-oiled machine. Operating at breakneck speed, Trap the Witch is fun and easy to listen to without losing the sleaziness their influences were able impart to the music.

And sleazy it remains; as in Venom lyrics, there's sex (with the witches, of course) mixed in with all the Satanism and violence, and set to some nice modern recording. Eschewing any low-fi techniques, Trap the Witch did a very clean mastering job where you can hear every chug of the rhythm guitars or thrum of the bass. Starting with an ode to the late Lemmy Killmister, the songs are pure thrash, with singer/guitarist Burning Axe Ripper keeping a blackened rasp on his vocals that is still clear enough to be understood. Wisely, Witchtrap keeps everything varied; in addition to the thrash and speed metal riffing that comprises the majority of the album, slower and more brooding songs also appear, such as the ominously-introed Power of the Maul. D-beat fans and foes both take note: This is a strongly metal-oriented album and crust influence is, as far as I can tell, nonexistent.

The band's nice attention to variety extends to the songs' pacing. Throughout the album, I never felt like they were starting to wander or that I was going to get bored, and the superb musicianship gives done-to-death songs about metalheads thrashing at a show, such as Hard Thrashing Mania, a freshness and strength that a different band might have difficulty instilling; as it is, that one is one of the best songs on the album. The title track doubles down on the thrashy riffing to save the fastest song for the end, and though it's hard to compete with some of its well-crafted predecessors, it summons more than enough energy to make for a strong ending.

This is a solid, high-quality release, even with the modern-sounding production that is a step away from their old lo-fi sound. Unlike many clean thrash recordings, however, Trap the Witch retains its grittiness even after washing.

Bandcamp: https://witchtrap.bandcamp.com/album/trap-the-witch-3.