Written By Caine Blackthorn
New Orleans death-grind and hardcore wrecking crew BRAT have unleashed their new single “Trophy Hunting,” another vicious preview of their forthcoming sophomore album, Manslayer, arriving September 25 via Prosthetic Records. BRAT “Trophy Hunting” delivers a retaliatory blast of death metal and hardcore built around themes of control, abuse and revenge.
Produced, engineered and mixed by Weekend Nachos’ Andy Nelson at Chicago’s Bricktop Recording and mastered by Brad Boatright (Pig Destroyer, Deadguy, Lathe of Heaven), Manslayer follows BRAT’s 2024 debut Social Grace with 17 tracks of death metal, thrash and swamp-soaked hardcore.
Brat “Trophy Hunting” tackles reactive abuse and turns the familiar trophy-wife dynamic into something considerably bloodier.
“Trophy Hunting is a classic tale of older men seeking a trophy wife that they can control,” vocalist Liz Selfish explains. “The video showcases the brutal aftermath of a young wife who has had enough.”
The accompanying video was directed by John Colgan.
BRAT “Trophy Hunting” Channels Country Revenge Into Extreme Metal
One of the more unexpected influences behind Manslayer comes not from death metal or hardcore, but country music.
Selfish drew inspiration from revenge songs in which women reclaim power from the men who wronged them, citing tracks including The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl,” Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder & Lead.”
“There’s not a lot of those tropes in death metal,” Selfish says, pointing in part to the relative scarcity of women within the genre.
That perspective became particularly important as Selfish took over lyric-writing duties for Manslayer. Guitarist and co-founder Brenner Moate had handled the lyrics on Social Grace, but after writing the first song for the new record, Selfish found herself wanting to continue.
The result pushes BRAT’s deliberately hyper-feminine “bimboviolence” aesthetic into darker territory without abandoning the camp that has become part of the band’s identity.
“We’re evolving the bimboviolence and the campiness by making it all a little bit darker with this album, and a bit more overtly violent,” Selfish says.
The macabre concept extends to Manslayer’s artwork, created by Wes Benscoter, whose credits include Slayer and Mortician.
BRAT formed in New Orleans in 2021, combining blastbeats, crushing breakdowns, old-school death metal and New York hardcore while deliberately swerving away from the sludge-heavy sound traditionally associated with their hometown.
Track listing:
1.) Intro
2.) Aileen Wuornos
3.) Speculum Bleed
4.) Bone Spurs
5.) Botch Tox
6.) Media Slop
7.) Trophy Hunting
8.) Asking for Hell
9.) Heretic Burning
10.) Interlude
11.) Manslayer (Hell Hath No Fury)
12.) Bloody Mary
13.) Femicidal Vengeance (feat. David Davidson of Revocation)
14.) Spit on His Grave
15.) Ways to Kill Your Husband
16.) Blistered Tongues (feat. Candace Buckingham of Walls of Jericho)
17.) Outro
BRAT 2026 U.S. Tour Dates
August 28 – Shreveport, LA – Bears
August 29 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Underground
August 30 – Austin, TX – Chess Club
September 19 – Davenport, IA – Capitol Theatre (with GWAR, Weedeater)
September 20 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection (with GWAR, Weedeater)
September 22 – Memphis, TN – Satellite Music Hall (with GWAR, Weedeater)
September 23 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live (with GWAR, Weedeater)
Manslayer arrives September 25 via Prosthetic Records.
BRAT is:
Brenner Moate – Guitar
Liz Selfish – Vocals
Dustin Eagan – Drums
Ian Hennessey – Bass
BRAT ONLINE:
About The Author
Caine Blackthorn writes music news, trending topics, commentary, and feature pieces for Metal Lair with a focus on the shifting culture surrounding rock and heavy metal. From rising ticket prices and touring collapse to legacy artists, industry absurdity, and the changing soul of live music, his work blends sharp observation with the grit, humor, and frustration of the scene itself. Whether covering modern chaos or metal history, Caine approaches heavy music as something lived through, not simply reported on.
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