Project Description

Thornhill 

The Dark Pool 

(Album Review) 

Reviewer: Connor Gutteridge

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The Dark Pool is the debut full length record from Melbourne Native Alternate Metalcore outfit Thornhill. The Dark Pool is the highly anticipated debut album after the band released their EP Butterfly back in 2018 with fans from all around the world screaming out for the record.

“We wanted the album to be the perfect follow up to Butterfly, and yet the perfect way to lead us into our next album in the future,” explains lead vocalist Jacob Charlton.

“We wanted it to have enough difference that people would be surprised, but that it would also allow us to keep branching out down the track. We never want to pigeon hole ourselves into a genre, that was never the point of Thornhill. We just want to be exactly who we want to be every single time.”

Thornhill have been very active around the metal scene since the first release stacking up quite a resume of bands toured with such as Northlane, Architects etc. The Dark Pool is the bands gift to the metal scene.

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This record being their debut full length record and being as anticipated as it is had a lot of weight on its shoulders and many expecting something incredible, they are not to be disappointed. The record from start to finish is filled with absolute bangers that seem to only get better as the songs go on. The 4 pre-release tracks only give a taste as to the mastery that lies within this album, giving the listener a taste of heavy metal core riffs. This is mashed together beautifully with a mixture of clean and dirty vocals throughout the tracks showing the range and diversity of the vocal section. Thornhill have really brought a Djent feel with this record with the low tuning and riffs sitting on the root notes. This is all fronted by a clean vocal dominant sound that is quite a unique style, I really can’t give anyone to compare it to.

Right from the first track of the album Views From The Sun, the vibe is set, and intensity is put in place for the listener to grasp what is to come if they didn’t already gain this from the pre-releases. However, this is not to be mistaken with predictability – as there is a great deal of range throughout the record with some tracks, such as Nurture and Coven – that are fast paced, intense driven tracks whereas tracks like Red Summer and All The Light We Don’t See are slower paced and full of emotion. This is a nice touch from the band as the have shown that they don’t really conform to one specific style, they are diverse. Every track on the record is different in its own unique way.

I really enjoyed the dynamic changes in the verses before busting through with a big burst of sound in the choruses. It gives the track chorus an even bigger feel that is utilised in a lot of their songs on this record. I feel that making the tracks sound bigger is something that they have really done well here, using big bass sound and strong vocals. The drum work in particular is also a playing factor with many of the songs consisting of alternate beats with lots of technicality throughout the whole record. The kick drum being the driving force that sets the pace throughout the whole album and never lets up. I Love it!!

The Dark Pool ends with Where We Go When We Die – a brilliant way to finish off the record as it contains the most elements and moving parts, giving the song a progressive feel with a touch of raw intensity. This works to give the listener one last raw emotional track to top off an already incredible record. The dirty vocals are an obvious focal point in this song with the use of high register clean vocals throughout which really gels well together to create my favourite track vocally.

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My personal favourites I broke down into two tracks as I could not pick one. First of all, the song that really made me love this band in the first place was Nurture. I just love the raw emotion in the riffs and it just feels like a bouncy fun track. The guitar riffs are the hook for me and to go along with that for anyone who has read my reviews before, I am a total sucker for a beautiful clean vocal section, and this was given to me in the chorus in particular. The second major highlight I gain from this record is Netherplace for the shear difference of it. The complete timbre and dynamic change from the rest of the album is a stroke of genius. Its sits really nicely in the set out of the arrangement of tracks, sitting nicely behind the one last hooray of the final song making it stand out all the more.

Absolutely phenomenal effort by the boys in Thornhill for their debut album. So many elements perfectly utilised and amazing show of talents. 10/10

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AMNPLIFY – DT