Album review by Lucas Bell
Melbourne metalcore crew Thornhill are a band on fire right now. Off the back of their critically acclaimed second album Heroine, the boys are back for another round with album number three. “BODIES marks a bold evolution in our ever-developing sound,” the band shares. “Heroine was defined by its meticulously crafted and tightly woven concept, but the weight of this careful construction sometimes overshadowed the energy of the music itself, leaving some listeners feeling disconnected. With BODIES, we have embraced a more immediate, unfiltered approach that feels like a lightning bolt, looking to capture the energy of “Thornhill right now.”
Speaking further on the record, the band says “The album thrives on spontaneity and freedom, foregoing rigid concepts in favor of pure, in-your-face authenticity. It’s less about delivering a carefully constructed narrative and more about creating a visceral, open-ended experience. BODIES serves as a sonic moodboard—a collection of feelings and vibes—intentionally left open to interpretation. It has an upbeat and almost celebratory, party energy at times, but also retains all the emotion and intensity Thornhill are known for, making it our heaviest and most explosive work to date.” And I absolutely agree with this sentiment.
SONG BREAKDOWNS
DIESEL – Straight out the gate with a certified banger. This is a song I can already see as a permanent fixture of the live set moving forward. The clapping intro is built for crowd interaction.
Revolver – This track delivers an almost punk edge to the bands sound. The verses are punchy, but the choruses feel a bit “more of the same” and don’t stand out as much, which sucks because I do like the song. I’m just not sold on the choruses yet.
Silver Swarm – One of the hardest tracks on the record. While sometimes it feels difficult to give Thornhill the Deftones comparison all the time, this track drips of Deftones inspiration. Absolutely love it.
Only Ever You – My God. The chorus of this track is amazing. It’s almost as if you’d pulled a Karnivool chorus in the middle of a Thornhill track. Which now makes me want these bands to collab ASAP!
fall into the wind – A nice little 90 second breather track. The guitars are super pretty and provide an awesome intro into TONGUES.
TONGUES – At time of writing, TONGUES is the latest single to drop, and man this track just rules. I’ve not shouted out ant individuals on the record, but this is the showcase track for just how formidable Jacob Charlton is as a vocalist. And the drums on this are my favorite of the entire record.
nerv – Our first taste of new material from the band came as this track back in 2024. I remember hearing this for the first time and thinking it was a 2000s nu metal intro riff. Like Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park. The perfect song to launch the new era of Thornhill.
Obsession – My favorite song off the record. On an album of career highlights, this track soars. Not much to say here, other than I hope it goes into the live rotation and never leaves. 10/10 song.
CRUSH – A much more lofi track comparative to the rest of the record, it’s a song that provides critical breathing room from the onslaught of metalcore goodness. And despite being lofi, it’s still insanely sexy.
under the knife – Outside of Revolver, this is the other track on the record I’m not fully sold on yet. I’m sure it will grow on me over time. But I’ve listened to it about 15 times, and I don’t love it any more on the 15th run than I did on the second. There are some cool little vocal runs I do love around the 2:30 mark. But not enough to enjoy the entire track.
For Now – The albums closer is a much more pulled back, almost vulnerable sound from the band that I was not expecting. The vocals seem almost painful at times, dripping in sadness. There is signature heaviness throughout, but with this closing the record, I hope this is a direction the band are looking at for the future. Great closer.
FINAL THOUGHTS – Following up their last record, Heroine, was never going to be an easy task. An album that, in my opinion, was the most perfect Australian release of 2022, this album needed to be bold and stand out. While the album isn’t a complete hit for me, there are definitely stand out tracks that put it into consideration for the band’s best work, put to record. A worthy follow up, and an exciting road map as to what we can expect next from the Melbourne four piece.
Score – 8.2/10
Highlights – Obsession, Only Ever You, CRUSH
