Hungarian band Thornwill are causing me a bit of a problem if I'm honest. The cover of this Self Released album has cartoon representations of the band and it doesn't bode well. It is well drawn and sure as hell makes a change from cheesy photoshop rubbish but it still kind of makes me think of bad Saturday Morning cartoons as a kid. Still, it is different and it does stand out so job done I guess. When the music kicks off the shock is we get a very serious and very modern take on heavy metal; the kind of thing that Nevermore do so well just with less of the thrash influence here, or even Dream Theatre without the endless prog diversions. It is very melodic Metal but with a good 'n' hard riff style that is nicely bass heavy, occasionally chugging and often snaking into melodic leads rather than limp and soggy syrup.
Opener 'Civilised Ways' is a great, catchy song that is far from toothless and it is obvious that this is potentially a bit of a surprise package: a real class act. Beautiful fluid guitars, strong and bouncy rhythm section and some superb vocals: They can Soar with passion, growl with anger and move between them flawlessly. Next up 'Sacred Lies' is a more bunched muscle affair, angular and less Immediate but still impressive enough to keep me engaged.
It's only on the title track that things begin to go a little wrong. It's the first time that the lack of focus of a track finds my mind wandering on to this, that and the other rather than the song. When I force myself I find a style that weirdly comes across as if Sonata Arctica had decided to drop the keyboards, admitted they were a metal band after all and spun a bit of Nevermore and a bit of Queensryche just to build them up. The talent of Thornwill is still as apparent as every in the playing, just the song-writing has either gone a little flat or had a little too much saccharin mixed in with the ground glass.
'Midnight Hunger' is another faceless number, kind of built on a sub-Wolf riff with it's teeth pulled and the chorus drifting into the kind of bland melody that leaves not even a stain when it departs. The ghost of Sonata Arctica pervades the mercifully short 'The Prophecy Fulfilled' except for the gnarly fade out and I begin to fear that this album is becoming hopelessly becalmed.
Rescued! The drift is checked by the harder 'Don't Let Me Go'; a more aggressive vocal performance and simply far better songwriting that at leaves hooks in your memory and a crick in your neck.
'Imaginary Fiction' is another more purposeful number, too, which at least helps settle my head before the shapeshifter of a song that is 'Behind the Behaviour'.
this opens with a worrying Bon Jovi style (!) Western strum that thankfully lurches back towards more Nevermore territory with twin guitar and bass flurries aplenty and time changes that bounce you around with ease and keep you fully engaged. Fine stuff indeed.
Unfortunately the winds do drop again and for a while we're marooned in a forgetable place that includes a generic ballad that simply doesn't work at all for me. Sorry guys.
'Road Movie' though pulls us out again with some low gear grunt and a bit of oil-slick melody (despite the unintentionally amusing sample that sounds like bottles falling off a milk float!)
Implosion closes out with the truly excellent 'Noah's Ark' and 'Before I Die', both confident songs brimming with memorable hooks and emotion and they ensure that the album leaves you with a good aftertaste.
Perhaps the basic problem with Implosion is its self released nature meaning there has seemingly been little or no outside input to temper the bands totally understandable and thoroughly deserved enthusiasm and to offer a view from a little further back. Thirteen songs could have easily been culled to a top notch eight with far more impact when I look back over the the album as a whole as when the band is sharp it is excellent.
As it is though there is still no denying the superb potential on show here. Talent seems to drape this band like a rich cloak and with a good producer and a little time l genuinely expect truly excellent things from these guys .
As it is Implosion is well worth checking out if superbly executed, highly melodic modern heavy metal appeals and I hope Century Media, Nuclear Blast et al are checking them out.
http://www.myspace.com/thornwill
http://www.thornwill.com
