Whenever a band says something like “this will be our heaviest and most melodic album yet”, I get nervous. Especially after what I would call a subpar performance of ‘Storm the Gates of Hell’, I was skeptical of Demon Hunter’s new material. But low and behold! I was very pleasantly surprised by their fifth studio album ‘The World Is A Thorn’. It holds the position of one of those very rare occasions where a band reaches there climax, begins to slide, and then release another superior album. Of course, everyone will hold strongly to their own opinions, but critically and practically, this is easily the best album DH has ever released. They have somehow managed to improve upon every single area of their performance, change their sound significantly, yet still sound just like Demon Hunter. When showing this album to a friend, he remarked, “Wow, this is so different, but you can still tell it’s Demon Hunter”. Inelegant, but a perfect explanation of the album. Demon Hunter has always played their own special breed of metal, one which no other band has been able to duplicate, leaving them with no competition to sully their style. Any competition, were there any, would have to deal with DH at the top of their game.
The change is apparent immediately. First with the epic-as-can-be opening, slow and more intensifying as it goes. That unforgettably low, crunchy guitar tone that keeps Demon Hunter true to themselves opens up with fantastic scream from Ryan Clark. Everything happens at once and may take a few rewinds to take in at once. First of all, Drummer Yogi Watts is actually playing a hardcore beat, allowing DH to finally attain the moniker of “metalcore”. ‘Descending Upon Us’ deals a full 5 minute body blow, taking hold and not letting go. Yogi Watts has never played this fast or aggressive, that making a big impression alone. But what will seize your attention even quicker is the drastically improved guitar on account of the departure of both DH’s previous guitarists, Ethan Luck and Don Clark. Replacing them with Patrick Judge and Ryan Helm (of The Ascendicate) on lead and rhythm guitar was one of the best changes DH has ever made. Fear not the lineup change.
A seamless transition from the opening brings us to ‘LifeWar’, a uniquely slow tempo, yet incredibly catchy track powered by an odd, yet appropriate marching snare beat. It is painfully simple and short enough to be an interlude, but still one of the heaviest tracks DH has written. Then take a step sideways to an anthem-like ‘Collapsing’. The vocal quality is almost entirely clean, but the music holds steady at loud and heavier than normal for DH. Bjorn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork and Disarmonia Mundi lends his voice on this track as well, although it is hard to pick out from Ryan Clark’s similar sounding voice. Slow down for a second and prepare for the closest thing to a breakdown that you’ll ever hear DH play. But who cares about that? There’s a freaking guitar solo happening at the same time! You heard me correctly, Demon Hunter played a guitar solo (one of several sprinkled throughout the album). Thank you, Patrick Judge for making my day.
‘This Is the Line’, ‘Tie This Around your Neck’, and the title track carry further DH’s new found harshness not previously heard on their other albums. ‘Just Breathe’ carries a more unique sound yet, adding violent and delicious vocals from Scar Symmetry’s Christian Alvestam, as well as backup vocals from Patrick Judge, and even some gang vocals thrown in. Not to mention the opening sounds a lot like Project 86 (you know how Aaron Sprinkle loves to tweak his music).
Then of course there are a couple ballads to season the album. Ballads, say I? Of course ballads, it’s Demon Hunter. ‘Driving Nails’ is probably one of the better ballads DH has written, though a little cliché in the structure, but ultimately very catchy. ‘Blood In the Tears’ however, while a quality track, may have demanded too much with its 4 minute length. I had a hard time enjoying it for very long.
While their unique style has always maintained them a powerful fan base, (i.e. The Blessed Resistance) ‘The World Is A Thorn’ really shows how much they have been limiting themselves all this time. There is nothing that has not been improved upon in this album. Yogi Watts has pushed the envelope with the height of his drumming, probably the best he has ever played for DH. Ryan Clark once again experiments with all new vocal styles, and Jon Dunn’s veteran bass is a staple that holds together DH’s low, growling sound. Finally, and probably most importantly, the additions of Patrick judge and Ryan Helm on lead and rhythm guitars have allowed DH to form a deep and meaningful relationship with a lofty new level of guitaring.
This is an excellent album. That being said, there will always be those who disapprove of change, and this has been the biggest and bravest change that DH has deployed. I am confident however, that the new fans gained will outweigh any stragglers that refuse to follow. For previous DH fans, this album is a no brainer. Love it or hate it. But for those of you who are unfamiliar to the band, try it out if you are a fan of bands like Living Sacrifice or Becoming the Archetype. Understand though, that it is difficult to compare DH to any other style.
Demon Hunter made a daring attempt at a big change with ‘Storm the Gates of Hell’. I feel that ‘The World Is A Thorn’ took them one step further towards that new sound. Adding much faster drumming, new vocal styles, and improved guitaring beyond words, Demon Hunter has reached new and different heights than those of ‘The Triptych’. I am very anxious to see if their next album may very well perfect their current aspirations. I give ‘The World Is A Thorn’ 4.5 out of 5 napkins.
Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: The World Is A Thorn
Release: March 9, 2010
Label: Solid State Records
Length: 41:49
Rating: 4.5/5
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