There must be something in the water out in Australia because my goodness. Between The Amity Affliction, Parkway Drive, Void of Vision, Alpha Wolf, and Thy Art is Murder, to just name of a few, it seems like Australia is home to some of the heaviest and craziest bands to ever grace the planet. Thornhill is sure to be leading that charge in no time especially with the release of their newest album, BODIES, as it is nothing short of a metalcore masterpiece.
Ahead of the release, the band shared:
BODIES’ marks a bold evolution in our ever-developing sound. ‘Heroine’ was defined by its meticulously crafted and tightly woven concept, but the weight of this careful construction sometimes overshadowed the energy of the music itself, leaving some listeners feeling disconnected. With ‘BODIES,’ we’ve embraced a more immediate, unfiltered approach that feels like a lightning bolt, looking to capture the energy of Thornhill right now.
Ever-developing sound is a perfect way to describe the semi-gothic and industrial sound of the opening track "DIESEL" as it sounds like the perfect type of song to blast the speakers in a blood rave hosted by vampires. The mosh vibes continue throughout the album with "Silver Swarm" and "Only Ever You". I keep finding myself going back to play the songs over and over again while I sing along so loud that my neighbors can hear each and every lyric.
Even the interlude tracks on the album seem to be masterfully crafted and work so well as they build up the anticipation for what is to come next. Let me explain. As "Only Ever You" begins to end and the listener is wrapped in a warm blanket of euphoric sounds and lyrics, it fades into "fall into the wind" which just calms you down as if you're floating in the sea. No worries, no thoughts, just a feeling of bliss and just as quickly as that blissful feeling is present, it is ripped away as "TONGUES" starts with such a stark contrast in sound with its upbeat riffs and scattered punch-in-the-gut snare.
When speaking on the release, the band states:
"We wanted to convey an underlying fear of being unnoticed or forgotten, the notion of a silhouette falling between fingers conveys a message of fleeting moments—something that can be grasped but never fully held. Within the atmosphere of the instrumentation, a haunting exploration of love and lust, blends these two feelings into something more tragic, yet hopefully relatable. There's a delicate balance between submission ("underneath your knife") and resistance ("I don’t wanna know yet"), which creates a soft tension, a push/pull that moves with song dynamics."
That feeling of a delicate balance is quite prevalent throughout the album. Each track could work as a stand-alone single but having them in the order they are for the album release assists with that impact each song has on the listener. Even the songs themselves allow for that balance! Take the closing song, "For Now", for example. "For Now" starts with such ambient sound and makes the listener feel at home in an aura of safety and security. Eventually it releases that explosion of sound while the lyrics keep you grounded. I think the best way to describe it would be comparing it to the iconic sound of a band like Deftones. There's just something about it that makes the album stand out in the vast space of music.
I really did not know what to expect with this new album because it wouldn't be fair to group and lump Thornhill into just one genre with their past releases. Whatever "it" is, Thornhill has it. If this release doesn't catapult the band into the mainstream, I don't know what will. I don't think fans need to worry as several songs are already crossing the million mark on streams on Spotify. I need to hurry up and finish this review so I can buy my own tickets to catch the band as they come through Dallas, TX!
Even this North American Headline Tour is something to behold as it is the band's first ever headline run in the United States. The band states how:
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce our very first North American headline tour! It’s something we’ve dreamed about for years, and now it’s finally happening. We’re bringing along some incredible friends—AVOID, Ocean Grove, and Banks Arcade—and trust us, this lineup is going to deliver a high-energy show from start to finish. We’re so gassed to bring the songs of our new album ‘Bodies’ to the stage.”
Get tickets while you still can because I am sure the tour is on the way to being sold out in multiple locations!
