Snowbird
Super Human

Born from the ashes of the thrashers Terra di Nessuno (already reviewed by me), the Italo-Irish SnowBird have changed course aiming towards a fast and disorienting Hard n' Heavy, although they carry with them their Thrash trademark that distinguished them in the first mini. In defiance of predictions and other band members, the guitarist and singer have continued their relentless march from 2007 to the present day despite many difficulties, as they divide their time between Sardinia and the Green Ireland. The two members continue to produce professional material given the distribution behind them, making them omnipresent on all major digital platforms from Amazon to Spotify.

It is easy to notice during the listening of “Darknest Day” that madness acts as a welding between the most dissonant parts, the most violent, and the most distinctly progressive ones, which in the hands of the duo become tools to unhinge the listener, without ever descending into senseless chaos.

The second track "They are the Death" is decidedly Thrash with a touch of Heavy, and from this track my question is: are they genuine or is it deliberate? Does this mix of Thrash and Heavy come naturally, or is it a calculated move?? Also noteworthy are the bass parts, which are clearly not played by a self-taught musician, and you can tell.

Let's move on to the breaking point ''Nuclear War''. The same Thrash and Heavy technique is mixed skilfully without exaggerating, but the groove is right and the choruses are well proportioned. The recording in a professional studio demonstrates that SnowBird is serious. The merging of bass and drums is spectacular.

''Two face'' is another track where the band proves they are not novices; everything is well balanced and proportioned. Here Giovanni Tore's guitar spans and acts as a glue in what once again distracts us in this blend of genres.

"kill yourself" is the ballad of this album, standing apart from all the other songs. The track conveys sadness and melancholy, but perhaps that was the goal, decisively hard rock with keyboard inserts and a solo that 'beautiful' is an understatement.

Indeed, this constant alternation of themes between Thrash, Hard Rock, and Heavy metal at some points seems to lack a certain fluidity, as if something is missing between the muscular blows of the voice and the more “cosmic” strokes of the guitar. On this point, SnowBird needs to define their sound, but the interesting ideas are not lacking.

The concluding “Scratch of the cat” is the track that surprised me the most of the lot present in “Super Human”, probably “the one” that gives more indications of the vocal skills of our Mr. Thrash to follow in the near future, hoping to see them soon at work with a more precisely defined project.

SnowBird possess enviable technical skills and know how to write good songs, but too often tend to lose themselves a bit in the search for overly daring instrumental solutions. The album is listenable but requires some in-depth listening to be fully absorbed, proving to be a good work. And for being a second album, I would say that's just fine.