Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio Bat 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 MUNICPAL WASTE guitarist, Ryan Waste, Bat s origins actually go back to 2008 when Waste and former D.R.I. drummer, and Texas native, Felix Griffin, hatched the idea of working together. Under the Crooked Claw opens with Una Torcia Illumina Il Cielo, courtesy of Italian horror soundtrack maestro Fabio Frizzi. 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 Vampyre Lore. Eleven more tales of terror follow in rapid succession with a grisly theme throughout. Waste is known for his love of the NWOBHM, but with Bat, he s taken that influence in a fresh direction on Under the Crooked Claw , with it s tight, concise songs loaded with punchy choruses and lightning-laced leads. Clear & Black Marble LP