Tryhm – The Silent Hunt
written by Ralle Ravn
I’ve gotten my hands on ”The Silent Hunt” by Tryhm, released on the label Liber Khaos Productions in 2022 which is the third full-length album by this project. Tryhm is a dark ambient/industrial project from Norway that has been active since 2016 and whose general aesthetic revolves around “creepy”, horror-inspired atmospheres. And this album is no exception to that.
On the label’s Bandcamp page, the album is described as the project’s “most conceptual album” revolving around theorizing a human breeding farm where the subjects are isolated from the real world and thoughts and behavior are controlled so their energy can be harvested. It is clear that Tryhm wants to convey this concept in the music on this album to the point where it’s almost literal but that’s not necessarily a bad thing except when it is.
The album starts with the track “The One Who is the Silent Witness” which begins with a wind-like drone followed by a deep, almost chanting voice followed by martial-like drums interlaced with metallic sounds. This opening track pretty much serves as a teaser for what the entire album has to offer although without completely spoiling the whole thing. The wind-like drones are a recurring element as are high-pitched metallic sounds interlacing with the bassy drones. Many of the songs feature deep bassy drumming. I think Tryhm was aiming for martial/militaristic drumming but they remind me more of a cinematic style of drums like the ones you’d hear in forest/jungle scenes in movies, which I still think fits in given the unforgiving and barbaric nature of the album’s concept.
The album starts with the track “The One Who is the Silent Witness” which begins with a wind-like drone followed by a deep, almost chanting voice followed by martial-like drums interlaced with metallic sounds. This opening track pretty much serves as a teaser for what the entire album has to offer although without completely spoiling the whole thing. The wind-like drones are a recurring element as are high-pitched metallic sounds interlacing with the bassy drones. Many of the songs feature deep bassy drumming. I think Tryhm was aiming for martial/militaristic drumming but they remind me more of a cinematic style of drums like the ones you’d hear in forest/jungle scenes in movies, which I still think fits in given the unforgiving and barbaric nature of the album’s concept.
Some songs feature “real” instruments that pop up between the industrial sound and the ambient drones such as the fifth track, “To Become a God of Death”, which features piano, and the sixth track, “Beyond Earthly Incubators”, which features bells. As it is with industrial music Tryhm uses a variety of samples to create the atmospheres on the album such as on the aforementioned sixth track that has the sound of a clockwork running throughout most of the song creating a rhythm that fits nicely in between the flowing dark drones.
Also, on the ninth track, “The Final Song Over Dying Flesh”, there are passages that feature the sounds of flies and rats exclusively. Three of the songs feature the talents of two other artists, them being Asmodeus Bael on tracks 1 and 6, and Paranoia Inducta on track 4. I am not familiar with Asmodeus Bael, but I assume he is the deep voice that chants and narrates on those two tracks. I can’t hear what Paranoia Inducta contributes as the style of that song blends in perfectly with the rest of the album.
I think the album is interesting but not without flaws. Tryhm succeeds in creating an album with a horror atmosphere but also reaches a little too much for exactly that. The interplay between deep drones and high-pitched metallic sounds is interesting as are the use of real instruments, and the harmonic passage on the second track, as they break from the oppressive and mechanical atmosphere of the album. The mechanical elements aren’t bad either as they add to the aforementioned oppressive ambiance, that the album is supposed to have, and also create a rhythm to some of the songs giving an interesting dynamic to the album’s general soundscape. The voice samples used throughout the album are deep and vocal frying and reach too hard for something horror-like and the lyrics on the first and sixth track seem to be taken from the album’s description on the Bandcamp page which I find to be an odd choice. The samples used on the ninth and final track seem a little too on the nose of the track’s title leaving that track shallow and uninteresting despite the track’s cinematic soundscape.
Another thing I noticed is that most of the songs feature the same almost pop music-like structure: The song starts and morphs into its main theme, then a build-up and a break comes halfway to three-quarters into the song, then returns to its original theme before finishing. It’s a good thing the album features different instruments and timbres on each song or else it could have been a repetitive and boring listen, which it isn’t despite my points of criticism. Some songs are really interesting such as the sixth song, which has a good mix of deep dark drones and and inhuman, machine-like sounds, as well as the seventh track, “Breeding Farm”, which features screams that leave the listener questioning if they are listening to humans experiencing horrors or sheep being rounded up for slaughter.
The album is, as mentioned, an interesting listen. If you are into horror-like soundscapes then it should be right up your alley. If not then you might roll your eyes a couple of times throughout this album. Am I blown away by this album? No. Is it worth checking out? Definitely!
The album is, as mentioned, an interesting listen. If you are into horror-like soundscapes then it should be right up your alley. If not then you might roll your eyes a couple of times throughout this album. Am I blown away by this album? No. Is it worth checking out? Definitely!
