Snaum 🇵🇱 SelfMadeSelf

Band: Snaum
Title: SelfMadeSelf (EP)
Label: Independent
Release Date: 12 November 2021
Country: Poland
Format Reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording

Snaum are a band that favors the experimental side of metal, in this instance called experimental noise black metal. This their debut EP, “Selfmadeself” brings you in to their direction and journey of where they want to guide the listener on a somewhat different path of metal music enjoyment.

You know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a different view on metal, a different take on black metal. I feel that we all could use a widening of parameters of what we perceive as metal, to incorporate new and different moods and sounds.

Another noted difference to me are the tracks, in that, there are no lyrics per say, its all up to your interpretation of the vocal and the instruments on their own. This EP is what you hear, what you feel as you are listening, your own personal journal not tied to suggested ideas in the song titles or lyrics.

Let me introduce you properly to Snaum, they started their foray into the metal world in 2019, and had some time to fully come together as a band. The challenge was to find like minded individuals who understood/shared a point of view on what Snaum is. Incorporating their talents and skills in such a way that the musical direction was forged and created to reflect the personal nature of this first EP. Xypus is the magician of all instruments, and Foster J. Hewan is vocals. Hewan brings black metal and death metal vocals to Snaum, ramping up the extreme levels in singing.

I’m going to start in on the music..

First track, “Lament”, this is an atmosphere being created, with sinister foreboding notes in the keyboards, almost sounding dystopian. The soundtrack to a destroyed world comes to mind. People who remember what the world was before the event, to now being hyper aware of what things are now, and the present dangers therein. The guttural vocals serve as the internal dialogue and the music picks up on the strangeness of the atmosphere. Ghostly guttural vocals close out the song, giving more of that sound of echoing voices from the past.

Second track, “Colossus”, between the synths, drums, guitars and vocals, you are thrown into the deep end of the experimental black metal sound influences. Tribal inspired drums kick things off midway through, and its very emotive. A fear and excitement created in those beats.

Third track, “Breathe”, begins in a discordant keyboard, seeming to jangle and echo and sit within the silence. Becoming its own being. Drums to me, have a jazz flavor and more sounds being introduced, to further build this track in layers. Very well done. You feel the layers rippling back and forth, climbing and falling to build up again. Some mid range, electronic keening comes in with the keyboards to a sharp and sudden silence at the close of this song.

Fourth track, “Against”, crazy intense keyboard, sounding blurred and echoed to begin. Singing is all out roaring and guttural, dirt vocals. All of this builds and builds, then the instrumentation of guitar and drums keeps the pace just off center.

I liked the mood of this, very interpretative. Some beautifully somber notes are played, sad and yearning in mood. An instrumental transitional passage.

Fifth track, “Signal”, more of the discordant mood in synths, sounds like the beating of wings at a fast fast pace, giving that wall of sound. Only getting darker, with the wind being added as a coldly atmospheric touch. Very effective, I’m enthralled with this whole passage. Can’t help but picture a precipice with a yawning darkness underneath it. Vocals are haunted echoing shivers of horrors that can’t be escaped. I say that in a way of wow, this really grabbed me and I am in awe of this whole layering of atmosphere.

I wasn’t sure the first time I heard this, but as time went on and I got more into the idea of no set direction of lyrics or song titles, I really grew to admire what Snaum have done here. Creating music that will be different for every person who hears it and pushing boundaries of experimentation. I give an 8/10 Metal Marie

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8/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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