ENTRAPMENT – Lamentations Of The Flesh: A Brutal Cry from the Dutch Death Underground
In the frozen bowels of Northern Europe, while the rest of the world was cuddling up to retro vinyl and ironic mustaches, ENTRAPMENT emerged from Groningen, Netherlands, to exorcise demons the only way they knew how—by dragging them out with their teeth. Lamentations Of The Flesh, recorded in the depths of the 2013 winter, is not just another death metal record. It is a diseased sermon, a slab of mid-tempo malevolence soaked in reverb and filth, wrapped in a crusty black shroud of Dutch old-school death metal tradition.
The Scene: Holland's Necro Renaissance
The Netherlands has always had a quieter, though no less morbid, corner of the extreme metal cemetery. In the early ‘90s, while Stockholm and Tampa traded corpse-grunts and HM-2 pedal settings, Dutch bands like Asphyx, Pestilence, and Sinister were grinding their own bones into dust. Fast forward to the 2010s, and a resurgence of interest in raw, analog-style death metal led to a new generation of bands digging up the rot, but few did it as purposefully as Entrapment.
This second full-length album, released in 2014, walks a thin wire between homage and resurrection. While their self-titled debut wallowed a bit more in D-beat crust influences, Lamentations Of The Flesh tightens the noose. The punkish undercurrent is still pulsing, but this is the sound of a band finding its guttural groove in death metal proper—slower, gloomier, and more methodical in its evisceration.
The Sound: Fetid, Focused, and Flesh-Ripping
From the opening riff, there's no mistaking the intent: this is not tech-death, this is not clean or clinical. The guitar tone is filthy—like Autopsy having a seizure inside an abandoned chapel. The riffs are simple, sludgy, and cyclic, often spiraling into hypnotic repetition that bludgeons more than it blazes. The vocals are cavernous, treated not as a vehicle for lyrics but as another instrument in the mire—less a singer than a moaning revenant caught in the tape machine.
One of the album’s most refreshing (and challenging) aspects is its tempo discipline. Instead of blast-beating their way to oblivion, Entrapment revels in the groove—drawing out the dread, leaning into slow, haunting melodies that reek of Swedish death but are anchored in a distinctly Dutch morass. Songs unfold like rotten petals, and the decay is the point.
The Hands Behind the Horror: Wierenga, Michel & the Entrapment Cohort
Recorded with Richard Wierenga and the band themselves, the album’s production walks that fine line between lo-fi ethos and studio intentionality. This isn't a plug-and-play Pro Tools debacle—it feels lived-in, hand-cut, almost punk in its rawness. The band clearly wanted you to hear the recording room, not just the instruments. It’s drenched in reverb, yes, but that’s not window-dressing; it’s mood architecture. You feel the decay, and that’s by design.
The cover art, credited to Michel, echoes the sonic grotesquerie. Not flashy, not overly graphic, but grim and suggestive—the kind of macabre you stare at longer than you intend to, searching for meaning in the darkness. Like the music, it’s more spiritual rot than gore-porn.
The Format War: Flesh in Multiple Forms
Though several versions of the album exist, the core recording and mix remain the same across releases. Variants differ in vinyl color, pressing country, and sleeve details, but musically, Entrapment didn't tinker with the formula. No remastering, no re-tracking—just straight from the crypt to your turntable. This edition, released through Soulseller Records (SSR 072), stands as the canonical issue, a single slab of doom-death purity.
ENTRAPMENT – The Rise and Rot of a Dutch Death Metal Cult
In the murky underground of the Netherlands' extreme metal scene, where frostbitten riffs and D-beat rhythms still echo in damp basements, one name emerged in the early 2010s that would cut through the static like a rusted scalpel: ENTRAPMENT. Formed in Groningen in 2010 as the solo death-metal vision of multi-instrumentalist Michel Jonker, Entrapment quickly grew from an obscure recording project into a staple of the European old-school death metal revival. With a raw, crust-influenced sound and an unrelenting work ethic, Jonker dragged the band from demo obscurity to international cult status—all while staying deeply rooted in the DIY ethos that birthed it.
Origins: One Man’s Obsession
Entrapment began not as a full band but as a solitary vision. Jonker—already active in punk and metal circles—wanted to craft a sound that married the grimy chug of early Autopsy and Dismember with the chaotic energy of crust and hardcore. The result was Infernal Blasphemies, a 2010 demo that put Entrapment on the radar of underground tape traders and Bandcamp crawlers alike. With Jonker handling all instruments and vocals, the project quickly grew in complexity, leading to the critically praised debut LP, The Obscurity Within… (2012).
Sound and Style: Death Metal with a Crusty Core
What set Entrapment apart in the saturated old-school death metal revival was its focus on atmosphere and pacing. Jonker wasn’t interested in technical wizardry or blastbeat histrionics. Instead, his compositions breathed—lumbering, mid-tempo monstrosities that built dread rather than speed. The production was deliberately raw, with thick reverb, murky tones, and vocals that sounded like they were recorded in a moldy tomb. Critics often noted the band’s punk undertones—a nod to Jonker’s roots—and some even dubbed Entrapment a “death crust” hybrid.
The Band Evolves: From Solo Project to Stage Beast
As interest in Entrapment grew, Jonker brought in live musicians to take the music on the road. Though the studio work remained largely his domain, the live band added new dynamics. From sweaty European club gigs to small underground festivals, Entrapment gained a reputation for delivering dark, suffocating sets with ruthless precision. Over time, the lineup shifted frequently—Jonker remained the nucleus—but the mission stayed the same: to worship the old gods of death metal while never becoming a parody of them.
Albums and Progression
After the success of The Obscurity Within…, Entrapment released Lamentations Of The Flesh in 2014, a deeper plunge into doomier, slower territories. It was a darker, more refined effort that divided fans: some hailed it as a masterpiece of decaying atmosphere, others missed the more energetic punk flavor of earlier releases. Jonker, unconcerned with trends, continued to follow his muse. The third full-length, Through Realms Unseen (2016), introduced even more melodic and introspective elements, suggesting a maturation—or perhaps a slow funeral march—of the project’s original sound.
Audience Perception and Critical Reception
Entrapment’s trajectory mirrored its genre: celebrated by purists, ignored by the mainstream. In the underground press, however, Jonker was lauded for his authenticity and consistency. Zines, blogs, and indie labels praised the band’s refusal to follow trends or compromise on production. Some compared Entrapment to Grave Miasma or Funebrarum, while others called them the Dutch answer to Asphyx—though Jonker himself was always more interested in emotion than legacy.
Controversies and Challenges
Despite the morbid imagery and occult overtones typical of the genre, Entrapment largely avoided controversy. Jonker’s interviews reveal a thoughtful artist more concerned with personal catharsis than shock value. However, the band’s lo-fi production and niche appeal led to occasional friction with labels or promoters looking for more polished, marketable products. Jonker refused to “clean up” the sound, famously rejecting remastering offers for earlier works.
Hiatus, End—or Rebirth?
By 2019, after a string of successful releases and limited live appearances, Jonker announced that Entrapment would cease to exist in its current form. He cited creative exhaustion and a desire to explore other musical avenues. While the band never officially disbanded, activity halted, and Entrapment entered a state of torpor—perhaps appropriate for a band so deeply embedded in themes of decay.
As of today, Entrapment's future remains uncertain. Jonker continues to be active in the Dutch metal and punk scenes, contributing to other projects and collaborating with kindred spirits. The band’s discography, now complete but never bloated, stands as a testament to what death metal can achieve when it’s made with heart, grime, and total disregard for commercial expectations.
Legacy in the Ruins
In the cathedral of death metal, where many light candles to the same gods, Entrapment carved its name with a rusted blade. Their music never begged for attention—it demanded it, in slow, churning waves of dread and distortion. Whether or not the band returns, Entrapment has already left its mark: a dirge carved into the bones of Dutch metal history.
