Saturday 20 March 2021

Thunder Horse - Chosen One (Album Review)


Release date: March 12th 2021. Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Chosen One – Tracklisting

1.Let Them Bleed 06:06
2.Among the Dead 05:53
3.Rise of the Heathens 05:26
4.Chosen One 05:35
5.Broken Dreams 06:07
6.Song for the Ferryman 07:13
7.Texas 03:31
8.Halfway to Hell 05:08
9.Remembrance 01:21
10.Dear Mr. Fantasy 04:15
11.Texas (Extended Version) 05:02

Review 

Chosen One is the 2nd full length album from San Antonio, Texas, Heavy Doom/Southern Rockers Thunder Horse. Coming almost 3 years after their acclaimed debut release, the band continue their Southern Rock/Metal journey but adding a more atmospheric and classic Doom Metal style to their overall sound. The album still retains it's Heavy Sludge and Stoner Metal outlook but Thunder Horse go a bit more theatrical with this release and it works wonders for them.

The album moves at an addictive and cracking pace which opens with the thunderous (pardon the pun) opening song - Let Them Bleed. The song most definitely "DOES IT DOOM" category with the slow creaking Occult guitar tones making a solid case why Thunder Horse feel a different band to their debut album. This song has an 80's Classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal mentality which is quite unashamedly retro in places. The DOOM METAL influences are full on METAL with epic vocals to match. The lyrics are gloomy with the music elevating them to a more modern day based flavour.

Thunder Horse experiment with strands of Psychedelic Rock and Prog Rock on this release which reminded myself of Black Sabbath and Mastodon in equal measure. The band stay true to their creative choices on this release and offer 11 songs of top-notch Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal grooves all bounded together by a real Southern Rock/Metal flavour. 

Thunder Horse impress the most on songs such as: Let Them Bleed, Among The Dead, Chosen One, Song For The Ferryman and a superb cover of Traffic's classic 1967 song - Dear Mr Fantasy.

Maybe the album is OVER THE TOP and FANTASTICAL in certain parts of the album that helps Thunder Horse deliver a wonderfully entertaining and deeply subversive album you wouldn't initially expect.

Chosen One is another must have and superbly produced album from Thunder Horse.  

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo. Chosen One is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Ripple Music.

Links: 

OfficialFacebook | BandCamp