The Pitch: The second full length from atmospheric black metal project, Throane, once again via Debemur Morti. "One of the most stunning trips of the year, Plus une Main à Mordre (“No Hand Left to Bite”) seeks balance between the struggle and the letting go, passing from chaos to quiet in revelatory circular motions." FFO Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Primitive Man
What I Like: With Plus une Main à Mordre, Throane very much continues the spiraling madness ignited by last year's debut. Dehn Sora, the man behind it all, has both an eye and an ear for evoking desolation and despair. Be it through his chilling black and white photography of grim, elderly subjects, or via dark, cataclysmic soundscapes; the result is bound to leave most listeners unsettled. Dehn's background is in album artwork for artists like Ulver and Blut Aus Nord, so it comes as little surprise that 1) their sonic approach has rubbed off on him and 2) the album feels less like a set of songs and rather another cohesive artistic statement. Much is expressed through what at base is just a handful of primary components: indecipherable snarls, reverb-soaked, atmospheric guitars, lurking basslines, and simple-yet-crater-inducing drums (courtesy of Gregoire Quartier). Fact check me, but that's pretty much all this music comes down to when broken down into parts. It's when they come together under Sora's thoughtful orchestration that the magic happens. And the closing moments featuring guest vocals from Colin Van Eeckhout (Amenra) and Sylvain (Incivil Tragedia) are truly haunting and captivating.
Critiques: While I have greatly enjoyed Throane's albums thus far, I feel like the project needs to evolve from here in order to keep its momentum. Whether that is through additional instrumentation, more complex performances, or something else entirely is not for me to say. I'd just like to see the next album differentiate from both Dehn's previous work and that of his peers without abandoning the basic premise.
The Verdict: "This is a record of cities as tombs, of failing industry, corroding capitalism, fractured lives, divided peoples, isolationism and lack." Plus une Main à Mordre is the perfect sequel to 2016's Derrière-nous, La Lumière; one that will haunt your dreams and conjure waking nightmares. I'll be expecting something even more profound when album #3 rolls around, but for now you can find me spinning this somewhere in the black lodge.
Flight's Fav's: À Trop Réclamer Les vers, Aux Tirs Et Aux Traits, Et Ceux En lesquels Ils Croyaient..
-Review by FlightOfIcarus
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