ALBUM REVIEW: Sněť – V Bažinách Vědomí

Five years after their killer “Mokvání v okovech” debut LP, Czechia’s Sněť are back with their second full length album. Set for release via Dark Descent Records and Me Saco Un Ojo Records.

There is no introduction to ease you into this record, instead opting for unnerving chords and chiming cymbals with some cool rolling toms. Instantly, I notice how dramatically improved the guitar sound is on this record. I loved the simplistic charms of its predecessor, but this has a matured, more organic tone. The riffs are still in that putrid Autopsy school of groove while blending them with these flourishes of weirdness that perfectly suit Sněť. The gargantuan gurgle of low-register vocals is as brutal as ever and sits upon the throne of carcasses that the instruments conjure up. The gritty guitars and rumbling regurgitations of the bass seep so naturally through the cavernous drum sound and fuel the charge for fetid death metal excellence gloriously. A notably more vintage sound in terms of the gear and mix really accentuates the filthy quirks of Sněť to new heights. Additionally, the vocals sound malicious and jump forth from the shadows at all the right moments. The grave-grooving onslaught of barbaric death metal is off to a very strong start.

From the twisted riffing, each track ebbs and flows nicely, keeping a good pacing throughout. The use of blasting moments accentuates the frantic sense of urgency, and the more doomy parts give atmosphere and breathing room to the record. Naturally, they seem most comfortable in the mid-tempo hooks, which are plentiful and delivered like a roundhouse that will rip your jaw clean off. It feels like they are trying to add a bit more atmosphere this time around without abandoning the sheer fury of the album. I would say the balance is just right for Sněť, and it doesn’t ever fall quite into full-on death-doom territories but also gives a bit more of that graven ambience to things. “Ve stínu slunce” is a perfect example of this, with its Necrophagia-style horror a rotten gem that truly stands out. The leads have that melancholy Finnish feel to them, which, again, pairs supremely well with the chunky offal of the rhythm section. I am struggling to find anything not to like with the sound here.

As a huge fan of Czech metal in general (especially the likes of Root, Törr, Master’s Hammer), the use of their native language gives a small but important uniqueness to the feel of the vocals. Nothing Sněť does is groundbreaking, and I really don’t get the impression they want that, but it does feel from the heart. If you witness them live, you can see how into playing rotted death metal they are, and I say that’s as honourable a cause as any. The conviction and delivery are what truly matter, and this record, along with their performance I caught at the Necropolis festival, certainly leaves no doubt that these guys are 100% into what they do. “V Bažinách Vědomí” is a crushing, convulsive, and caustic listen that will corrode your ears from start to end, leaving a zombified brain craving more ichorous punishment from Sněť.

A really strong follow-up to a record I thoroughly enjoyed. Pure old-school death metal done with a precise, gruesome, and tasteful execution that’s a killer listen from start to end. Sometimes you just want to be bludgeoned by primitive and abhorrent death metal, and this is the exact kind of record to deliver such a beating. The maturing in the sonic department (in terms of tone and mix) suits the still Neanderthalic playing perfectly. This is a damned nasty record, and it knows it.