Senzar - Pyre of Throes

Angry Metal Guy 60

Veteran performers often head new projects for one of only a few reasons—in the underground, it’s safe to say that it’s for the love of the game. Back in 2014—approximately 20 years ago—when unheralded punky death metallers Coldwar dissolved, most of the crew decided they were full enough of occult and blackened vigor to summon a new identity: Senzar. While the small nation of Ireland is host to a few larger names (Primordial and Altar of Plagues come to mind), there is still not yet a strongly defined Irish metal sound, other than the stereotypical squeal of bagpipe or drone of a hurdy gurdy. Senzar does not muse on folky ideas, instead using Pyre of Throes to cement their place in the ranks of post-kissed blackened acts like Suffering Hour or Yellow Eyes. In a field ripe with talent, can Senzar stake claim to a seat at the table?

Pyre of Throes seeks first and foremost to guide us through a black metal-inspired romp without stepping too deeply into second wave pitfalls. Axe-slinger Paul Nash (ex-Coldwar) injects plenty of varied techniques beyond the played-out assault of trem-picked madness, though there’s come classic wave-riffing at times (“The Sadness Will Never End”). Against the cacophonic melodies, Nash, like his contemporaries in Suffering Hour, curbs the isolation of dissonance by inclusions of trad-inspired refrains (“Cosmogenesis,” “A Black Hole Devouring a Star”), though with far less twang. Additionally, there are moments of righteous, windmill-inducing grooves that steal the show—odes to many of the members’ death metal past—and proof that you’re never too kvlt to pit (“Unforgiven Twilight,” “Of Embers”).

While Senzar doesn’t present any shocking or novel sonic elements, each performer brings a weight to the total sound that isn’t always present in black metal. Primary throat Trevor McLave serves enough diversity to keep his vocals from becoming background, committing glottal atrocities that come close to the histrionics of DSBM croakers at his nastiest moments (“Of Embers”). The occasional blast beat surfaces to guide, but drummer Marty McElhinney can just as easily shepherd us through with syncopated saunters (“Zenith”) or occult marches (“A Black Hole Devouring a Star”). And amongst all the madness, bassist Stephen Anderson underpins every bar with a fully audible, warm bass thunder, supplying low-end swagger on the beefy intro to “The Elegy of the Fading Cello” and the playful coda of “Zenith.”

Unfortunately, the pacing of the album gets in the way of Pyre of Throes being a consistently enjoyable experience. Many bands waste the collective experience of music lovers everywhere with often irrelevant tracks titled “intro.” Senzar, while immune to that plaguing naming convention, are not immune to this introductory affliction—they’ve chosen to putter about near 7 minutes with the world-building premiere track “Alderbaran’s Shrine,” which picks up far too late to make a strong point. This would feel less frustrating if the following jam “Cosmogenesis” didn’t burst forth with a blaring guitar line that truly and efficiently sets the tone for the rest of the madness to come. Additionally, the hellish blasting of “The Sadness Will Last Forever” whips us into a frenzy only to leave us with 3 mid-paced groovers afterward, making a few already lengthy tracks feel even longer.

Despite the issues that derail this journey a bit, Senzar managed to create a burly offering in the ever-growing field of blackened metal practitioners. Their experience in the field shows in the quality of this recording, sounding a cut more cohesive and professionally recorded than the many one-man projects cluttering the black metal forests across the globe. Undoubtedly, these seasoned performers are happy to see their debut finally out there in the world, having been plagued—like many—with the issues the past couple years have brought us all. I’d be all ears to catching an act like Senzar out in the wild at a small bar with a cold beer in hand.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: senzarband.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/senzarband
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2022

The post Senzar – Pyre of Throes Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.