THROES‘ brand of sludgy metallic hardcore is caustic and bludgeoning whilst channeling moments of sorrowful alt-metal melody, putting them somewhere between Deftones and Cult Leader. These guys have supported underground metal heavy-weights such as The Body, Full of Hell, Gatecreeper, Thou and Cult Leader, along with a festival appearance this year at Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho. Holy Roar Records are releasing their debut album ‘In the Hands of an Angry God’ on the 26th of July, and today we have teamed up to give you some insights about
If you were to look up the word throes in the dictionary, the definition found is overbearingly bleak; ‘intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change.’ With this in mind, it’s somewhat apt that Idaho based US band THROES have taken up this moniker.
Formed from the ashes of Bone Dance, the five piece sludge and metallic hardcore merchants unleash their maleficent debut album ‘In the Hands of an Angry God’. The album’s assault is harrowing on all counts, for a number of reasons – it has the familiarity of Gaza/Cult Leader’s push/pull of grind and sludge coupled with the sonic density of Amenra and Neurosis, but it also feels more brutish in it’s auditory premeditated violence.
In the current landscape it’s very easy to get lost in adjectives, so it’s all the more potent that by the end of the albums runtime it’s hard to not question whether you’ve been listening to a body of work or been subject to aggravated assault. It’s just that nasty.
Morgan, drums, gave us some details about the band’s inspirations:
One record that’s been on repeat for several years and is a big influence on me would be Capsule’s last ep, “[A]”. The rhythm section is ridiculous. I was really drawn to the mid-tempo, catchy but angular approach to the songs.
Another record that periodically makes it way into my rotation is “Koloss” by Meshuggah. That album is super moody and brooding. It’s another great example of music that is more mid-tempo but technical with lots of syncopation.
Over the last few years while we were writing the record my music preference has been primarily hip hop, trap and grime music. I do check out and get into a lot of current metal and hardcore bands but I tend to put on more of the former. A few artists in that realm that I gravitate to and draw inspiration from would be Freddie Gibbs, Vince Staples, DJ Screw, ASAP Ferg, Skepta, Bugzy Malone, and The Bug.
Phil, guitar, adds:
The last few years I’ve found myself heavily into electronic music. That’s a pretty broad spectrum, but I would say music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whether it’s Nine Inch Nails or any of their musical scores has been playing the most in my headphones. The primary albums on repeat have been “The Downward Spiral” and “Ghosts”. Where the former gets my blood pumping and caters to my love for abrasive heavy music, then “Ghosts” I-IV, by contrast, is like an extension of the slower deep cuts found on many of NIN’s other albums.
Recently I’ve also been into Author and Punisher because, simply, he crushes. Shamefully I’ve only recently discovered him about a year ago, but when I saw him live he blew my fucking mind. Something about crushing beats that are that distorted (and catchy as they come), but give way to a melodic tension plays right into the tones that I not only like about my other influences, but also are something I seek to achieve as a musician.
Tyler, vocals, concluded:
One album I found particularly inspiring was Sumac‘s “The Deal”. They really created something unlike anything I had ever heard before, and I’ve been a huge fan of theirs ever since. It’s not until you see them live that you can really appreciate the power and energy they bring.
Another band I found myself listening to a lot of was Kowloon Walled City. Guitarist/vocalist Scott Evans mixed our EP “To Dust” and those guys have been friends of ours since the beginning. There’s something about how they make often simple parts so heavy and intense that it demands your attention. I think we definitely too a page out of that book while working on this record.
