Snöras “Plague Waters” CD

"Plague Waters" is the sophomore full-length from intriguing Norwegian outfit Snöras (released by Fysisk Format), who I had sadly never heard of before. With eight tracks in a little under a half-hour, the material reminds me a lot of the more top-shelf "screamo" from back in the day, with loads of frantic riffing and layered vocals (to varying degrees of extremity with regards to shouting/screaming/etc.). Where they succeed so greatly is that their jangly guitar tones utilize just the right amount of distortion to add some grit without making things at all overbearing, and the same can be said for the vocals, which never really venture too far over the top and provide a good match for the overall feel and energy of the music. The arrangements are also more fluid and cohesive than many such acts, allowing for some relaxed breathing room here and there, while fusing a good amount of melody in amidst all of the rather intricate – and at times chaotic – interplay between the instruments. I know that there's a hell of a lot of baggage alongside the term "screamo", even from way back in the 90's, but... trust me, this is quality work right here, so don't get narrowminded about descriptive terminology. Give 'em a listen and see for yourself. I think you'll understand where I'm coming from...

Snöras "Lucid River"

There's also a limited edition 2xLP pressing (a split release of 500 copies between Fysisk Format, Great Northern, and Not Another Record Label) that includes the band's debut album, "Heart of Weakness", for all you vinyl lovers out there, but I don't think either edition is distributed outside of Norway just yet, so you might have to get a little creative with your ordering methods. Hopefully Fysisk Format will get some US distribution lined up soon, because this is their second very impressive release in a row, and their efforts certainly deserve more attention!

Get It

Tiger Records (CD)
Tiger Records (2xLP)