Snarm’s Debut Album ‘Till The End’ Aims for Arena-Rock Glory

Dragon kings, environmental concerns and saluting good old rock and roll are part of Guwahati/Mumbai band Snarm’s debut album Till The End, released on July 29 via Denmark label Lions Pride Music.

The Assam-origin band, originally founded in 2011 under the name The Final Touch by guitarist-vocalist Shihan Bhuyan, were fueled to write, record and release the 10-track album in 2023 after signing a multi-album deal with Lions Pride Music and vocalist Tsooraj aka Suraj Kashyap. The band is completed by drummer Arju Begum and bassist Anurag Gogoi and brought in multi-instrumentalist/producer Vishal J. Singh to mix and master Till The End.

The band says in a statement, “We’ve always believed in the power of music to connect, inspire, and heal. Till the End is our gift to the world, a reminder that rock n’ roll is very much alive and kicking.”

Till The End started off as demo riffs and ideas written by Bhuyan for years and it’s now got a punchy, arena-rock sound. Occasionally drawing from power metal, the album songs range from prog to glam influences, with a few twists thrown in for good measure. Slick, flittering riffs shine on “Someday Somewhere,” a song that’s dedicated to the band’s fascination with déjà vu.

Prog and Eighties melodic hard rock come to the front, juxtaposed on “Rarest of Pearls.” Snarm say in a press release that “unity and teamwork” are what it takes for band longevity, a chief concern on the album’s title track. It was written and composed by Bhuyan back in 2019 with a previous lineup of the band. That included bassist Mrinal Manab, who passed away before the recording of the album. “The music video of the song paints a very emotional picture of the way Mrinal impacted the band with his presence both musically and personally, and how the band finally coped with the loss but still managed to somehow record the album and continue their journey,” Snarm says.

The pace changes with “Sky High,” which takes a surprising turn into Spanish guitars amid power metal songwriting. It’s only apt that the song is about a dragon king, named Eryndor. “The song serves as a glory song for the protagonist (Eryndor) and tells the story of that one fierce battle where he saves his kingdom and his subjects from one of his deadliest enemies while sacrificing his life in the process,” the band says.

Snarm dreams big on “This Rock ‘n’ Roll Ride,” while “Rain & Thunder” takes a more journeying story approach familiar to fans of power metal. The quaint “Reignite” starts in a folksy, string orchestra and acoustic guitar way and stays in that space. “This one is a powerful and evocative song that serves as a wake-up call to humanity, urging us to rediscover the essence of our true selves,” the band says. It also ties into an eco-conscious message to “rekindle our connection with nature” for sustainable living.