There are 2 certain things about this US raw black metal
band: the first, quite predictable, is that every song of theirs is
a pure barbaric assault, in which guitars with a ruddy light and ultra-rough
vocals rule the sound scene, while the second - almost a record - is
the fact that since their foundation back in 1993 they've never changed
their 3-piece line-up, whose weight is strongly carried on guitarists
Swornghoul and Lord Necron, along with drummer-vocalist Blackthorn.
After this consideration, we can say that after an apocalyptic intro
we're run over by a hyperviolent onslaught, enriched by some doom openings,
the way US black metal was primally meant to be in the early times.
Thornspawn are extremely heavy and have no compromises till the end,
a war-like outro. In this chasm of sounds three songs emerge from the
others: the first, "Bestial Dark Lords of War", showing
a slowed down part a-la Destroyer 666, just to become very fierce later
at the right time. The second, "Reapers of the Battlefield",
proves to be their most complete, featuring a rough enough guitar solo.
As to the rest, we keep on being in the same hellish rings, with the
right quantity of fantasy and the maximum possible fury listenable together
in the third important song, "Apocalyptic Hellstrike: Chapter
666", divided into 3 differently titled parts.
They play that so rudely that they could be shortly described as a son
born from a coitus between Hellhammer, Vital Remains and Angelcorpse,
more wicked than his parents, therefore a valid hyperdestructive US
black metal band with chances to improve the good present points here
shown; that's the reason why I suggest them try to expand the possibilities
given by the luck of disposing of two guitarists in their line-up, increase
the skillful level and not dread to dare and stun the listeners with
some unexpected solutions.
Thornspawn, who've been the organizers of San Antonio's Sacrifice of
the Nazarene Child Festival every year since '98, too, show us a fairly
good record, yet so hard to appreciate in its wholeness that you need
at least 3 listenings to enjoy it and not consider it stale as it happened
to me in the beginning. I think one professional reviewer has to be
exacting and make people spend one's money the best way, in other words
for the best products only, and that's why it took me so long before
giving both of my thumbs up for this true unholy black act.
MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 09/06/02