Album Review: The Wrath Of Throf by Snuff

When you think of legendary UK punk rock bands that are still active today, none come bigger than Snuff. The long running band, lead by the one and only Duncan Redmonds, have been going for as long as I have been alive and they have built up passionate fan bases from many different generations. Whenever the band releases some new material it’s always the cause of much excitement throughout the UK punk scene, as well as many places further afield. Recently they released The Wrath Of Throf on their own 10past12records. I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to check it out a little early.

 

The EP begins with Drink Freely From The Chalice Of Lunacy. Snuff have had many line up changes over the years but have always managed to maintain their own sound. A large part of this is down to Duncan’s unmistakable vocals. They are full of melody and heart but also have a working class feel to them that makes you think of a mate down the pub telling stories. This song is on the more serious side of Snuff, a mid-tempo punk rock song that has a great breakdown which builds brilliantly to a big ending. Nothing To See Here starts with a beeping that flat lines before the band launch into a faster song that will get a crowd nice and rowdy. Duncan’s vocals go along at an impressive pace that really helps to inject a lot of energy into the track. On my first listen, I figured this was a straightforward punk song but when you really listen there so many little layers and intricacies that I really enjoyed. The third track is titled Conductor 71. Something I’ve always enjoyed about Snuff is how brilliantly they use harmonies in their music. That really comes to the forefront for the first time on Conductor 71. This somehow gives the song some extra intensity as the band storm through the song at an impressive speed.

Poetic Nonsense kicks off the second half of The Wrath Of Throf. Starting out with some keys, the song sounds like it’s going to be one of the more chaotic tracks on the EP. It doesn’t however turn out to be that way. It’s an urgent song with the sprinkling of keys adding a playful side. I really enjoyed how the song builds throughout, keeping you invested and making you think there’s going to be quite some ending to this song. Of course there is, as Duncan bluntly shouts the final lyrics in the big finale. The penultimate song might be my favourite on the EP. Named The Bells Of Hell, it sees Snuff taking steps into the ska world to introduce us to the song. This is Snuff at their silly best and I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot and do a little jig when I first heard the song. It’s immediately catchy, so much so it will be the only thing you sing to yourself for the next week after listening to it. The inclusion of the trombone for the first time on the EP was very welcome and adds to the drunken barroom style sing-along that you will no doubt have to the song. The final song, King Of The Wild, presents another barroom sing-along moment. It’s a slower song that heavily features the keyboard and the trombone. I think Snuff are really at their best when they step away from a more conventional punk sound. The song’s highlight is the big gang vocal harmony section at the end of the song. This moment, when they’re finally allowed to play live again, will be a huge crowd pleaser and will no doubt gain such a great amount of crowd participation.

The Wrath Of Throf is another wonderful release from Snuff. To be so prolific after thirty years of being in the band is a testament to the song writing ability of Duncan Redmonds and the rest of Snuff. It’s such a shame that their tour supporting this release has been postponed until January. At least it gives you plenty of time to learn the songs before then.

Stream and download The Wrath Of Throf here.

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This review was written by Colin Clark.