There’s something in the Texas water that hints of heavy, psyched, doomed filled metallic elements. The musical lacings are not considered metalloids and definitely not a nonmetals.
The source of the heaviness points towards San Antonio also known as the Alamo City. It’s a large metropolitan area in Texas with a passionate reputation for metal going back years.
The metal in question is Thunder Horse metal and not Thorium when referencing metallic substances. Th or the chemical symbol of Thorium is a weak radioactive metallic element sitting at 90 on the Periodic Table of Elements. Thunder Horse metal is all solid, no weak elements.
As with the prior Thunder Horse releases, the 2018 same titled debut and 2021’s Chosen One, the band delivers again. This time with After the Fall.
Some bands experience the sophomore slump and look towards the following release to save the day, not Thunder Horse.
The band is already coming off a strong sophomore album. With the release of After the Fall, Thunder Horse now solidifies their standing in the heaviness community. They joins the ranks of others that consistently deliver slabs of metal.
After the Fall consists of eight delicious and savory cuts of precise doomish metal. The best part, there’s slight hints of psych seasonings to accompany the thunderous riffs.
The opener, the title track immediately lays down that heavy familiar Thunder Horse feel. It’s something the band has been crafting the last several years. As soon as the ears hear it, the link to Thunder Horse is made. It’s a six minute journey but sees the band slightly deviating roughly two thirds in. The track circles around rejoining the groove that was made and finishes out from there, eventually fading away.
“After the Fall” is an ideal opening track as well as the second single that was made available several weeks prior to the street date. It gives the listener a slight taste of Thunder Horse variation song wise for the album.
The second track, “New Normal,” was the first single release for the album. As expected it opens with serious riffage but the listener enjoys a smooth heavy lead prior to the vocals kicking in.
What’s nice with the track as well as the other six offerings on After the Fall is the music is mesmerizing. Thunder Horse has something the band can claim as their own. A unique sound and vibe glazed with Texas metal. The music isn’t forced, it just flows like the spring fed Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country.
“Monolith,” the third track has more tempo when compared to others. The song still stays on the thick side, it’s just a quicker deviation from the slower material.
“The Other Side” which follows “Monolith” is something that needs to be noticed. The song is an acoustic offering supported guitars, bass and drums lasting only 2:04. Obviously it’s the shortest on After the Fall but it’s a gem in its own right. Everything else is near the five minute mark (4:48) with “Aberdeen” and beyond reaching the 6:26 mark.
“The Other Side” shows Thunder Horse’s capability of stepping back and bringing something on the lighter side to the table. The song works.
“Apocalypse” returns back to the heavy side. It’s with “Inner Demon” and “Aderbeen” though that sees Thunder Horse deviating again with intros before pouring on the heaviness. “Aberdeen” has moderate tempo changes but it remains true to Thunder Horse form.
The album closer “Requiem” opens with some light strumming and chord work. It shows that Thunder Horse is refining their sound slightly separating from just the pack of heaviness.
The terms heavy and heaviness are easily attachable to Thunder Horse’s music but that’s what they are but with variations.
After the Fall is an important release for the band. The album will expose their music to more potential fans but all it takes is one listen. The name Thunder Horse and the music associated with the band is spreading. One thing that is certain is the band has a sound as big and strong as Texas.
After the Fall is a nice addition any music collection and worth looking into as an acquisition.
Pre-orders are over but the upside is After the Fall is now readily available for consumption in vinyl, CD and digital formats.
