Band:	Gnaw Their Tongues
Album:	Abyss Of Longing Throats
Style:	Drone, Noise, Experimental black metal
Release date:	August 07, 2015
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. Lick The Poison From The Cave Walls
02. Through Flesh
03. Abyss Of Longing Throats
04. From The Black Mouth Of Spite
05. The Holy Body
06. And They Will Be Cast Out Into Utter Darkness
07. Up Into The Heavens Down Into The Circles Of Hell

Gnaw Their Tongues has always been my favorite project by the well-known sonic terrorist that is Mories. Reasons are plenty: The overall cinematographic aspect of his compositions; The structures that remain invisible at first but take form the more you listen to the numerous releases; The perfect marriage of black metal, noise, drone, ambient and other nightmarish influences. It's simply put, his most well-rounded project.

And yet...something feels different. Something feels very odd. Could it be that I've been disconnected to the madness? Have I stared far too long into the void that I no longer respond properly to the insanity? Am I too influenced by the putrid glory of previous works? In any case, I'm just not feeling it as I used to. Which is difficult for me to explain as everything is working fine on paper. The music remains as visual as ever, perhaps even more than with previous works. There's enough sense of improvisation to provide suspense. There are plenty of hypnotic passages, intricate use of percussion and of course the inhuman howls, screams, moans, and growls are present in all their pitch black fashion.

My bet? The production. Something went wrong there. The clearer production takes away far too much of the haziness. The fog that disoriented me with each release. The fog that left me confused, paranoid, claustrophobic, and disgusted is barely present. I'm not saying that the production should make the instruments sound poor and indistinguishable. Not at all! My problem here is that everything feels more?physical, more tangible. It's hard to explain. It's like explaining why a horror movie or book didn't phase me and why another left me in a corner without been able to close my eyes. The vocals, for example, have more room than before. Which is not a great move if you ask me. Vocals for this type of music are best kept in the background as an extra layer of madness. This is a prime example of how the atmosphere created by music can be influenced just by moving the knobs.

Now it's worth mentioning that Abyss Of Longing Throats still carries the elements that made Gnaw Their Tongues the God-tier project that is today. I don't doubt that Mories' previous works make this album pale far more than it is fair. This is why this album might be a good door for the newcomers to open, as its' songwriting and atmosphere could be considered more accessible to some. As for me, a seasoned listener, I'll wait patiently for another deadly album that will grab me by the throat and make me feel paradoxically alive.