Mangled Post-Hardcore By Irish Whiz Kids

There's something damning about Irish post hardcore mob Bats that one struggles to nail down. They possess the technical chops and the style to be quite the heavyweight in the hardcore scene; crafting what can be best described as At The Drive In locked in a visceral knife fight with Converge, while Biffy Clyro sit quietly on the sidelines waiting to step in when it gets to messy. But technicality means nothing when the band in question struggle to gather their masterful musical knowledge into a collective.

And sadly, this is where “Red In Tooth And Claw” fails horribly. With tracks such as 'Higgs Boson Particle' and 'Credulous! Credulous!' possessing a blinding energy undercut by layer-atop-layer of musicality that while impressive to muso's, will mean fuck all to any normal music lover. While the twisted abrasion of 'Andrew Wiles' and 'Bats Spelled Backwards Is Stab' is surely enough to enthral both the metal and hardcore kids, it's all bark and little bite.

Bats have a certain credanility thanks to having this opus produced by Converge's own Kurt Ballou, and in the right circles that will really mean something and will probably even see this lot gaining a following. But the overall masturbatory feeling that strides through this album is simply overpowering to in-the-grain music lovers. Music doesn't need to be catchy or easy to be good, but this is taking the piss.