Music, and metal in particular, is a great place for people to vent their emotions, and you’ll find bands from all over the metal genre putting their emotions in the forefront. In black metal, depressive/suicidal black metal is a subgenre that showcases how sadness can be turned into art, and Throane is a band that attempts to do that, and for the most part succeeds. Their latest album, “Plus une main à mordre”, showcases the band using some interesting artistic choices to showcase their emotions. “Aux tirs et aux traits” starts off the album, and does so very dark. One of the first things you’ll notice is how odd the production is, and as the album progresses, the production helps bring out the emotions within the music itself. This is followed up by “Et ceux en lesquels ils croyaient”, which sounds almost like if a horror movie had a black metal soundtrack, and not in the traditional sense. This song is haunting, and the way it layers the vocals goes onto showcase that. “À trop réclamer les vers” fades in, then showcases some interesting guitar work. The production here, combined with the guitar work make this song standout. “Et tout finira par chuter” is next, and feels like where the band channels some of their anger.
This song is a bit faster than the rest, and a bit heavier as well. “Mille autres” is next, and goes back to the depression that the album previously showcased. The vocals on here sound like pained screams, and the song itself seems to loom over your head. Lastly is the title track, “Plus une main à mordre”. This song has a slow opening that builds into the depressing metal, and is actually one of the most depressing sounding on the album. This ends the album on a low note emotionally, and a high note musically. This is good, however definitely not for everyone. A lot of what the band chooses to do feels a bit off putting, but given the style, feeling off-put by what you’re hearing, and being forced to feel things you don’t want to feel it probably the goal. However, it’s still an enjoyable listen, and one you should check out if you’re curious.
Overall Score: 7.5/10
Review by Sam Hookom
