Demon Hunter is back with their 5th album. With 2 new band mates this album promises to be simultaneously their heaviest yet most melodic project thus far. This album has been produced by Aaron Sprinkle whom over the years has produced some amazing records.
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The World Is A Thorn| Posted March 08, 2010
Demon Hunter’s fifth studio album, The World Is A Thorn opens with a melodic guitar riff. But don’t be fooled, this album is brutal. A few seconds later the low-end kicks in, and so do Ryan Clark’s ferocious vocals. Bluntly put, The World Is A Thorn is not for wimps.
From militant beats on “LifeWar” and chaotic vocals on “Descending Upon Us” to power ballads “Driving Nails” and “Blood In Tears,” Demon Hunter, with the help of pristine production from Aaron Sprinkle, manage to make the album flow seamlessly despite contrasting song styles and elements. The band has also mastered the marriage of catchy choruses and heavy riffs, exemplified on songs like “Collapsing” (think “Fading”) and “This Is The Line.”
The album’s message is summed up well in the chorus of the title-track, “Won’t bow to man. Won’t bow to government/Won’t trust in a failed system of self-fulfilling lust/Won’t love a world where my God is mocked. I defy.” Demon Hunter unashamedly rejects the world’s view of life.
Whenever a band claims that their upcoming release will be their “heavier than ever,” I take it with a grain of salt, as it rarely turns out to be true. There is some truth to it in this case. While The World Is A Thorn may not be Demon Hunter’s heaviest album overall, it does contain some of the most brutal songs the band has ever penned, most notably the title-track. However, it also contains the band’s softest song (“Blood In The Tears”) yet. Demon Hunter’s unmatchable ability to mesh heavy with melodic and its relevant messages are undoubtedly the reason why the band continues to reign supreme over the metal genre.
4.5/5| Posted September 02, 2010
Even after a three year void, Demon Hunter remains one of the best christian metal bands in the business with the release of their new album. The World Is A Thorn feels a little bit like an experimental record in that some songs make use of some synth styles. This album also sounds a lot heavier then the previous albums but that is a good thing as the lyrics really go with the sound. While not as good as Storm the Gates of Hell was, Demon Hunter's new album is still a great listen to fans of the band and metal heads alike.
A Thorn worth the wait.| Posted March 09, 2010
I've listened to the new Demon Hunter album, "The World is a Thorn" twice all the way through now. I've got the deluxe special edition, with 13 tracks on it. My first impression, there has not been a metal album, Christian or otherwise, that was this good released in years. This is the kind of music that will rip you to shreds if you try to hold on to it, but it will carry you away if you just let wash over you.
The vocals on this album are amazing. When metal groups try to do harmony, it's too easy to compromise heavy to get it done, and it's too easy to not do harmony right for fear of compromising heavy. Trust me, these guys got it right.
The guitar work on this album was a big question mark for a lot of loyal fans. After all, we have two new guitarists. What do we have to fear? It turns out, nothing. Yes, you can tell there are two different guys playing guitar for Demon Hunter that you've never heard play guitar for them before, but the problems stop there. Not only did they do their job, they seal the deal completely.
Lastly, its easy enough to say "You know Yogi isn't going to mess up on the drums." - because he didn't. But he did keep it fresh. There are new licks in there, stuff that takes you by surprise in places, stuff that feels like anything else would be wrong in others.
In short - if you like heavy music, or know someone who does, and you want a good clean message in your heavy music, you NEED this album.
Thrash time!| Posted March 05, 2010
This is everything Ryan and crew said it would be. Faster, louder, tougher. Ryan said "thrash" like. Definitely agree with him on that one. There's a nice blend of melody, screaming, and fast guitars. The ballads Driving Nails and Blood in the Tears are to be sure favorites in lines of Carry Me Down and My Heart is an Open Grave (also, One Thousand Apologies). Collapsing is like Fading Away is some aspects, but this definitely DH moving in a better direction. Get ready to move on this one. Great! I love the honesty of LifeWar. Then This is Line, I know this will be a chat among Christian metal heads. Everything is awesome, but then again I could be a little biased. Buy this!
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