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Scandinavian death metal band Thorium strikes back with a vengeance.
Thorium is back with its sixth album since its formation in 1997. A fresher, more direct and energetic proposal with a stellar lineup and some serious extreme tunes. Quick and dirty.
Scandinavian death metal band THORIUM strikes back with a vengeance. The new album “The Bastard” is to be unleashed in September. Their sixth album since the formation in 1997 “It wasn’t in the cards, but in Spring this year I felt incredibly inspired to write an album that would go back to the very beginning of Thorium. Make the album that was the natural follow-up from our debut album – or actually go even further back and make an album that was supposed to be our actual debut album. At least in my head. When we played in South America at Septembro Negro Festival in September last year I meet up with my old friend Martin Schulmann (Centinex and Demonical) and that sort of triggered something in me. Martin was a part of the original Thorium line-up. And so was Jonas Lindblood from Taetre (now Puteraeon) who I have kept in touch with during the years. So I was like. Fuck it. Let’s make “The Bastard” album – the original debut album from Thorium”, Thorium-founding MHA says.
“Somehow it felt like hooking up with a new girl who looks and acts like your old girlfriend and make it turn into a creative relationship that – this time – actually works out and everything turns out exactly how you want it to be – because you are in complete control and you know which mistakes not to make. Does this make sense?”, MHA continues.
Well, the songwriting tag team with Rogga Johansson (Paganizer), Thomas Olsson (Blackscape) and MHA began work and the operation was quick and dirty, capturing the old vibe of writing Scandinavian death metal.
The whole process of the album ended up taking less than six months, from the beginning of the songwriting in March, to the recording in April, the mix and mastering in May to the release of the album in September.
Thorium bass player Jesper Nielsen added the bass and Thorium guitar players JP Storm and Jose Cruz are both featured with guitar solos on the album alongside Jonas Lindblood.
“Sometimes you end of waiting and waiting and waiting for an album to be released. Some songs are written years ago, recordings done years ago, the album is postponed by the label, all band members have 100 opinions about everything from artwork to the smallest details in the mix. With this album everything feels fresh, energetic and like one big erection”, MHA laughs.
The mixing and mastering of the album was taken care of Marco Angioni at Angioni Studios and key words were “loud”, “wall out sound”, “massive” with a modern take on old school.
“This time around we wanted the sound to come of the speakers. Some death metal bands aim for an old school sound like 1991, with “The Bastard” we aimed for a fresh sound anno 2024 that should be massive and with no compromise”, MHA nods.
“Originally the idea for the album title was “Sverige” (Swedish for… Sweden), as a follow-up to the last album entitled “Danmark” (Danish for… Denmark), so the actual front cover symbolizes the map of Sweden – if you look deep into it. As with the last two albums the Italian master Roberto Toderico was chosen to do the artwork. In the end “The Bastard” was a better fitted titled, though, as this album really was done in a different way, in a bastard way you can only do when you think of the box, have full focus and take full control and probably something you can only do once?”.
“Vocal-wise this is without a doubt the most varied and most well performed Thorium album ever done. On this album I really felt on top of my game and some of the choruses are the strongest I ever did – in any of the bands I’ve been recording with”, MHA ends.
Confused? Excited?
“The Bastard” will be released on CD, LP (black and red vinyl versions available, each limited to 200 copies) and digital on September 20th, 2024 via Emanzipation Productions.
Recording lineup:
MHA (Michael Hvolgaard Andersen) – Vokills
Jesper Nielsen – Bass
Rogga Johansson – Guitars
Thomas Ohlsson – Drums
Except “Mesmerize” – all strings and drums by Henrik “Heinz” Bastrup Jacobsen
Guitar solos on tracks 2, 5, 9 & 10 by Jens Peter Storm
Guitar Solos on tracks 4, 7 & 8 by Jose Cruz
Guitar Solos on tracks 1 & 3 by Jonas Lindblood
Keys by Marco AngioniAll songs written by Rogga Johansson & Thomas Ohlsson & Michael Hvolgaard Andersen except “Mesmerize” by Henrik “Heinz” Bastrup Jacobsen
All lyrics by Michael Hvolgaard Andersen
Mixed and mastered by Marco Angioni at Angioni Studios
Artwork by Roberto Toderico
Thorium lineup:
MHA (Michael Hvolgaard Andersen) – Vokills
Jens Peter Storm – Guitars
Jose Cruz – Guitars
Jesper Nielsen – Bass
Daniel Preisler-Larsen – Drums
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