SNARM is a progressive glam rock / arena rock band based out of Guwahati, Assam, India who recently released their debut album `Till The End` based on the theme of life and the journey of life till the end, all phases of life, good and bad times, human emotions such as love, sadness, fear and lot more.
The quartet comprise of vocalist and frontman tSooraj (Prachurjya Goswami), guitarist Shihan Bhuyan, bassist Anurag Gogoi and drummer Arju Begum.
We are guided into the album with `Intro` which is just what it says a brief instrumental that has a kind of cinematic feel. We have a song that deals with the experience of Déjà vu with `Someday Somewhere` a melodic rock earworm of a number that has a guiding drumbeat and plenty of guitar riffs on route and a brief solo towards the end.
`Rarest of Pearls` is a faster paced rhythmic offering that invites us to embrace who and what we are, a number with vocals that vary in tone as the number evolves. A delightful foot tapper. Title track `Till the End` is about life`s journey and the friendships that sustain us throughout our existence. A fairly thoughtful almost introspective number with a melodious texture and cracking guitar solo in the latter section.
`No Rain Can Wash Away` is a power ballad and a tribute to the band`s former bassist Mrinal Manab who sadly took his own life. A heart wrenching listen, but a nice eulogy to a friend who is gone but not forgotten. We have in `Sky High` a song that describes a fictional fantasy story of a mighty dragon king named Eryndor who ruled a kingdom named Draconian in a galaxy thousands of light years away. A rhythmic pumping rock-tinged workout. It veers off with a short acoustic Spanish segment just after the midway mark for some reason before resuming its original path.
`This Rock n’ Roll Ride` had a bluesy almost Southern rock vibe at times and relates a tale of boy done good despite a troubled adolescence, gaining fame as a rock star and writing to his mother regarding the abuse suffered at his families’ hands. A young boy`s traumatic nightmare during a thunderstorm is the basis of `Rain & Thunder` which is a pounding thumping composition heading towards power metal.
`Reignite` is a plea to renew our connection with nature and each other. A mystical almost spiritual submission that has some complementing vocal harmonies, flute tones and some orchestrated strings. The album closes with a bonus track in `One More Lonely Night` which is a kind of melodic rock love song.
SNARM formed with the vision of expanding the limits of rock music in India and drew inspiration from iconic classic bands of the late seventies such as Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, Winger, Warrant, Dokken, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Van Halen, Kiss, Loudness, L.A. Guns, Whitesnake, Europe, and more. The influences of these pioneering bands can be heard throughout the band`s debut album `Till the End` with some superb musicianship, powerful melodies, and infectious rhythms.
If you like seventies melodic hard rock you`ll love SNARM and `Till The End`.
Rating 8.5/10
