Thornhill stunned Metalcore audiences with their debut slammer, The Dark Pool. Full of atmospheric sections combined with crunchy, heavy breakdowns, Thornhill were seen to be the next big thing in the metalcore scene. Following on from there is their sophomore release in Heroine (UNFD), marking a clear departure from their core roots and voyaging head first into the valley of alternative rock/metal. 

This one is bound to be a divisive album.

Opening with ‘The Hellfire Club’, there is no introductory song to slowly submerge you into the new alt-rock sound. The band jump straight into the murky waters with slow, drawn out guitar tones straight from the Deftones handbook before launching into a heavily distorted, crunchy riff to get those crowds into a frenzy. Vocalist Jacob Charlton brings forward transcendent vocal harmonies akin to Chino Moreno, soaring around the melody. While this could sound trite and derivative in the wrong hands, Thornhill makes it their own with their signature punchy vocal delivery. Light synths fit into the background sweeping over like the tide. It’s a small feature, but adds incredible depth to the track.

This style is continued up to the sixth track, ‘Casanova’ where the band kick it into fifth gear. Combining influences from Alien-era Northlane and Absolution-era Muse, Thornhill crafts the perfect song to get every audience member off their feet and to jump like there’s no tomorrow to the beat. Charlton’s vocals are magnetic, capturing the swagger of Matt Bellamy. The song is a clear stand-out, showing the band has moved onto bigger and brighter things. Towards the last third of the song, the quintet launch into a breakdown bringing the Diamond Eyes-esque guitar to the mix as Charlton screams into the microphone. This is one of those songs that will be standing the test of time.

While the band has mostly departed their original sound, they have gone on to create something wholly new, interpolating the best parts of what made their debut great into Muse-sized hits. Thornhill truly has come into their own element, creatively with a whole new crisp sound. 

Ultimately, this is yet another in a long series of examples of what happens when a band branches out to create something new and it truly pays off. Expect to see them topping headline bills by the end of the year.

Buy the album here: https://unfd.lnk.to/Heroine

9 / 10

CHARLIE HILL