• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Damien Thorne. I tried to get a hold of "Sign of the Jackal" a few years back, and the only online store that "had it" effectively did not have it. Then I missed them at Classic Metal Fest (I can't recall whether I had gotten there too late or if the band had cancelled its appearance.) Well, good things come to those who wait and for several weeks now I've had this latest release of theirs in my hands, or I should say in my CD player. It is one of the three or four albums that have been monopolising my ears for the better part of the past couple of months.

"Haunted Mind" is a great mixture of traditional heavy metal and thrash, delivered in a rather raw and aggressive form, something that's more and more difficult to get nowadays, with many bands' obsession with ultra-clear production and digital touch-up wankery. Well, here you go, Damien Thorne have saved the year 2005 for me. Powerful harsh but clean vocals complement this onslaught of old school metal that just doesn't get boring for a minute. There are a few odd-sounding moments here and there, but not nearly enough to hit the skip button or anything. There are some killer cuts such as the opener "Dark Ancestor" as well as what is guaranteed a live hit - "Raise Your Horns". Man I just can't get tired of that song. Catchy, raw and powerful. I sometimes had my fist in the air listening to that one at the office. :)

The sound isn't overpolished and in fact quite raw, and might be a bit of a turn off for some of the more "modern" metal fans. Their loss. This is metal the way it should be played. Mighty fine release. I've only seen a couple of reviews of this album and they tended more toward negative territory, which only means that some reviewers should review pop music instead of metal music. Amazingly, this is an independent release. Either the labels are blind and deaf, or the band members just want to handle things themselves. The inconvenient is that the album may be a bit difficult to get, as I haven't seen it listed in many (if any) online distro. It's worth the hunt though.