Throatsnapper – About Life (Recommendation)

Sometimes things take time. Half a decade ago Throatsnapper released their debut About the Dead and let it have its way with the world. The world got through a lot in those five years and now it is ready for another aural black marker in form of About Life.

Being new to the art of Throatsnapper I was really surprised about the guitar tone. Instead of the usual thick and massive walls of sound, the guitars here are more “sharp” and “cold” (lack of better words). But given the fact that two members of Throatsnapper have played in the Black Metal band Slecht before, it is no surprise after all that the guitars have this icy touch to them.

“Inebriated” or “Pleasure” reminded me of the first three Wiegedood albums in a very good way. This hypnotic, ever repeating drum and guitar pattern crossed with a pained voice and the feeling that there is no place for hope in this music makes me feel miserably at home (in a good way).

As mentioned before About Life is not your off the mill Sludge album. Besides being massive at times, there is this recurring Amenra-like feeling in songs like “You must comply“. Between tower-high riffs there is this almost siren like guitar that guides you through the abyss.

About Life as the positive version of its predecessor couldn’t be more wrong. “Leben” (living) und “Leiden” (suffering) start with the same letter in German. About Life is the perfect embodiment of this fact.