BLACK THORN HALO
“THE HORDE”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Black Thorn Halo are a thrash metal band from the USA, formed in 2010, releasing their debut album ‘Texas Fucking Metal’ in 2012, and the follow up ‘Deadline’ in 2016. The band added a second guitarist in 2017, to become a five piece outfit, and in 2019 released their third album ‘The Horde’.

The blending of thrash with power metal is one of the best mixes ever to grace the world of heavy metal, with legendary German metallers Rage pivotal in creating this style of music. Many other bands have come close to emulating Rage, with American thrashers Black Thorn Halo getting very close indeed. The bands third album ‘The Horde’ is a ferociously fierce slab of thrash and power metal, with opening song ‘The Rising’, immediately making you stand up and take notice. The furious pace at which ‘The Rising’ gallops along at is phenomenal, guitars screaming, and with a gruff, deep throaty rasp of a vocal performance. What an opening… ‘Kill The Pain’ moves the album on at pace, a pace that introduces a more melodic rhythm, yet retains a very heavy vibe too. A sing a long style chorus adds a more infectious feel to the album, with the deep vocals very commanding. And if you heard your name shouted by that voice, you’d be scared, cowering where you stood and trying not to wet yourself with fright.

Title song ‘The Horde’ is a swashbuckling swagger of fire and brimstone. The heaviness exuding from this album is out of this world, with the bands singer making the albums overall ambience one of the heaviest I have ever heard. Lesser mortals will have already reached for the pain relief tablets, while the rest of us brace ourselves for the remainder of the onslaught. ‘Into The Unknown (On The Razor’s Edge)’ is more power metal than it is thrash, yet still manages to deliver a vicious head slap, a violent drop kick and a flurry of uppercuts and haymakers to flatten even the most resilient of boxings world champions. Foot on the monitor power metal graces the album in glorious style, with the thunderous ‘The Swarming’ galloping on at high tempo and with the biggest melodic edge the album has to offer.

Pace drops a gear to a more mid tempo melodic foot stomp, with ‘Wargasm’ a heavy hitting anthem with a chant style chorus. All screech together “wargasm”… Fucking hell fire, what a change of pace – ‘Wargasm’ changes up a couple of gears and flies faster than a jet fighter off to war. A definite highlight on an album of many, ‘Wargasm’ is a favourite of mine. Blistering pace lights up the album with the lightning quick ‘Cenote Sacred’. Punishing, pummelling and pulsating, ‘Cenote Sacred’ is fast, furious and fierce in equal measures and may just rip neck muscles apart as heads begin to bang more violently than ever before. At just thirty four minutes in length, the album is almost at an end, but remember guys and gals, the replay button is just one press away… And oh my fucking god, what a song the final offering is. Stunning just isn’t a strong enough word to describe ‘Dare You To Live’. The excitement levels are off the chart, with my blood flowing like an express train to various parts of my body, leaving me star struck, amazed and totally breathless. What a climax to a brilliant album.

Overall, a thunderous and infectious gallop of melded thrash and power metal, Black Thorn Halo deliver one of the years best “wow” moments.

TRACKLIST

The Rising
Kill The Pain
The Horde
Into The Unknown (On The Razor’s Edge)
The Swarming
Wargasm
Cenote Sacred
Dare You To Live

http://www.blackthornhalo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BlackThornHaloATX/

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