Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio Bat welcomes the release of their second full-length album Under The Crooked Claw via Nuclear Blast Records. The brainchild of Municipal Waste guitarists Ryan Waste & Nick Poulos, Bat ascended from the underground a decade ago on a dark, leather-winged trajectory. The band delivers their own blood-spattered horror leaning heavily on the dirtier side of speed metal.

To celebrate the release, Bat offers fans the single, “Revenge Of The Wolf”. The band once again returned to horror director Norman Cabrera to create the perfect visuals. The video included cinematography completed by Rob Lucas, editing handled by Mike Mendez, and Maya Kay was responsible for the production.

Ryan Waste states, "The wait is finally over as our creation takes flight, sinking its claws into the airwaves. It was a true test of our will, caging this beast for what felt like an eternity. I’d especially like to thank my bandmates, Nick and Chris for their hard work and patience through the entire process. We wrote these songs during grim times and their ferocity is certainly emulated by that. Unleashing these tales of terror gives me a sense of fulfillment that is completely unmatched.”

Chris Marshall states, “I still bear the scars from The Claw.”

Nick Poulos comments, “From note to note, speed on speed, to say I’m proud of Under The Crooked Claw is an absolute understatement. We poured our hearts, minds, and souls into this record and I’m so proud of what we accomplished. My favorite Bat offering to date!”

Order/stream Under The Crooked Claw at this location.

The power trio, completed by drummer Chris Marshall, decamped to Philadelphia in June 2021 where Arthur Rizk recorded the basic tracks for Under The Crooked Claw. Yavé Rust tracked lead guitars and vocals later when the band was back in Richmond, ultimately to be mixed by Rizk and mastered by Joel Grind. The artwork for the album was inked by Brandon Holt and colored by Margaret Rolicki.

Jam-packed with tight, concise songs loaded with punchy choruses and lightning-laced leads, each of the 13 tracks offers a new horror short story mixing the perfect blend of heavy metal, punk, and rock ‘n’ roll or as Waste coins it "primitive heavy speed".

Tracklisting:

“Una torcia illumina il cielo”
“Vampyre Lore”
“Rite For Exorcism”
“Streetbanger”
“Just Buried”
“Warshock”
“Horror Vision”
“Battered”
“Revenge Of The Wolf”
“Marauders Of Doom”
“Electric Warning”
“Bastardized Force”
“Final Strike”

“Streetbanger” video:

“Rite For Exorcism” video:

Headlining dates:

May
30 – St. Louis, MO – The Sinkhole
31 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge

June
2 – Denver, CO – The Crypt
3 – Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Saloon 

June (supporting Necrot)
5 – Berkeley, CA – The Cornerstone
6 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
7 – Los Angeles, CA – First St. Billiards
8 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
9 – Phoenix, AZ – Nile Underground
10 – Albuquerque, NM – The Launchpad
12 – Austin, TX – Parish
13 – Dallas, TX – Three Links
14 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Underground
18 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum
19 – Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub
20 – Atlanta, GA – Boggs Special
21 – Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
22 – Raleigh, NC – Chapel Of Bones
23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Cattivo
24 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
25 – Bensalem, PA – Broken Goblet
26 – Brooklyn, NY – The Meadows
27 – Boston, MA – Sonia

(Photo – Jeff Howlett)