ALBUM REVIEW: Snow Trail - Abandoned Capsule
Snow Trail is a 3 piece post-punk band from Jena, East Germany.
A quick google search sent me on a journey to get an idea of what I’m in for. Those “Intimidating, massive walls of eleven-storey prefabricated buildings in Jena-Lobeda” are key to this album. Abandoned Capsule was created and recorded within the very city and I am assured that it is to “provide the perfect soundtrack for sleepwalking through these or other concrete deserts at night”
Everything about Snow Trail is blocky, minimalistic and cold, no insult of course, but simply representation, their music is funky avant-garde weirdness, with pulsating basslines and mellow guitar chimes. It thrusts you to a time of nearly over 40 years ago, to experimental, coarse but passionate makings of Post-punk of the 80’s. There’s something extremely nostalgic about it yet, it has a rougher modern edge.
The Vice is the Leading single with a very beautiful music video, very artsy and grainy visuals that transports you to the 80’s, sitting in front of a huge TV with VHS. The song itself fades in with sharp snare, the feedback off a warping guitar and then the buzz of synths. It’s quite a danceable track and really kicks up some noise by the chorus sections. The Vice has an overall subliminal feeling to it with a rush of adrenalized shoegaze. Followed by Mirrors which starts out staggered and sharp guitars with much more echoey vocals that soon fall into another pulating beat, I feel this one has much more deeper tones, lots of experimenting going on.
Global Village is the longest track on the album with minimal vocals, lots of experimental guitar soling. There is a distinct focus on percussion and funky bass, that keeps the track grounded whilst the rest dances freely. The vocals shift from the iconic airiness to a cold telephone effect.
The bridge Drops into a fuzzy gritty section that becomes rigid and serious, creating lots of painted noise and synths becoming chaotic, it swells and grows to a playful height and the end fades to a screeching feedback. Very satisfying indeed.
Gravity is so laid back, the tones are surprisingly so warm and cinematic, this track is a mere break, an interlude between the chaos but it paints hope amongst the cold the end leaks into Constructions, creating tense and anxiety, the bass is less of a pulse but a mysterious hand grasping. The synths climb and the percussion comes to a peak, and the post-punk familiarity comes back.
The final track, Teacups Placed in Sweet Disorder, is quite bright, hopeful upon opening compared to its counterparts, there is much more swing and freedom, the ending becomes energized with glorious echoes and chimes, definitely an alt- head banger.
Overall, Abandoned Capsule is a very raw album, lots of intriguing experimenting going on that your ears will absolutely adore the enrichment from, lots of breathing room and a steady solid style throughout, I feel, for me, it’s less emotive and more focus on technicality, air and that slight grasp of nostalgia. Perhaps I would love it more if I was still stuck in my alternative and post-punk era. Definitely a star made for that scene. Brilliant either way.
