RSS Feed


BLOOD PYTHON
Thunder City

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 8/10

Here is an album I’ve been waiting patiently for. Norway’s Blood Python were on my radar as soon as they issued their Acheron debut which was one of my favourite releases of 2022. It was dressed up like some obscure 80s throwback and enticed me into its folds. Imagine my joy and excitement then to have a full-length follow-up so soon in my lap.

Thunder City is proof that sole member M. Horn is a real talent who deserves your attention. Impact is immediate as opener ‘Witch’s Brew’ slithers from the basement with a sizzling guitar tone that wouldn’t be out of place on Mötley Crüe’s Shout At The Devil album. The vocals are a sinister whisper of sorts, creeping their way up the stairs and into the dusty attic. The sound is very much embedded in the mid-80s as the mid-tempo riffs combine with a steady drum before the snaking solo.

‘Omens’ ups the pace (slightly) and is another trudging manifestation of darkness. Everything is kept simple yet effective resulting in the sort of spookily-clad metal any 80s kid would have been desperate to hear. Dripping with menace and somewhat doomy by design, the album rumbles through ‘The Wolves Ain’t Far Behind’, which again offers a fiery trudge, and into the traditional effects of ‘Conqueror’ and the equally mesmeric ‘Empire’ with its stark percussive taps and menacing glare.

This is pure, lethal and at times foreboding heavy metal summed up by the majestic ‘Swamp Sacrifice’, which boasts the fluidity and spectral nature of Ghost. ‘Lord Of Night’ serves up more ghoulish trudging as again the vocals echo like spectral vapours swirling around crooked gravestones. ‘The Gods That Fell To Earth’ closes the album and showcases the unorthodox nature of Blood Python because it’s a song that mixes Gothic nuances with organ-laced rock that wrenches itself from the 70s mire.

The new Blood Python release is peculiar and yet utterly compelling in its macabre wonder. However, Thunder City isn’t far removed from last year’s debut and its distinct lack of pace may irk some. The creeping nature of both records, while suspenseful, could also suggest that Blood Python is of limited shelf life because while the releases exude a menace, the novelty may be at risk of wearing thin. Even so, at this present time Blood Python remains a dimension of shadows and spectre worth visiting. Let’s just hope the ghost train doesn’t lose its appeal and that the frights stay fresh.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share