Disc One:
I bought this primarily for the demo CD (rehearsal material from ‘89-91). I’ve been trying to get a copy of these for a long time, and I’m thankful it’s finally available. This is going to remain my main focus for the review. The demo CD is included as the 2nd of a double-CD set, limited to to 3,000 copies. It seems pretty unnecessary to preach about the Thorns demo material to anyone already familiar with what Thorns is, so those who have no clue, listen up! The first two songs feature Bard Faust on drums and vocals. It begins with the infamous "Aerie Descent" (which also appeared on Necropolis’ Nordic Metal compilation) followed by "Funeral Marches To The Grave". The tracks are raw, cold, and dark, having a slower death-black metal style (it was all the same damn thing around this time). You can feel the cold atmosphere…an aura of death and darkness as these songs make their way through the air of your listening environment. The last several tracks are just Snorre on guitar and bass. This is where things really get creepy. "Lovely Children" begins with a riff that made its way onto Mayhem’s "From The Dark Past", and also contains traces of "Buried By Time And Dust". Snorre had a hand in writing De Misteriis… and his influence can certainly be heard through this material. My personal favorite is "Thule". The cold, biting guitar tone cuts through the air and sets the mood alone, guided by haunting riffs that immediately send chills down the spine. The music of all these songs pulses at you, creating a perfect atmosphere to let your demons loose. I really wish I had this stuff years ago. Limiting this release was a good idea because few people will really appreciate it, considering who the major audience is today. It’s unfortunate that those few may still encounter problems obtaining it, but I urge you - do what you can and get this. By today’s standards, it’s not going to appear as a huge stretch of the imagination, but you will certainly feel the darkness and sickness captured in these recordings. The worst has yet to come as long as material like this is still around to inspire.

Disc 2:
The new material? Well…it’s good. Snorre is a fucking great guitarist and delivers very well. I only wonder if he was seriously 100% about this stuff. I don’t altogether hate drum machines, but the one used on this recording (via Cubase recording software) remains a questionable interest to me. It’s just a really weak, plastic MIDI sound. It provides little accent and makes me yearn for the force of a real snare. I felt this way about Mysticum at first, too…but that changed, so who knows…although they at least can create beats "necessary" for a drum machine. Thorns has redone "Aerie Descent", lengthening the song and allowing the cleaner production to help with the delivery of certain parts. The thing is…the song is played in a fashion that makes it very obvious as to what’s being accented and what isn’t. It makes it a bit more difficult to draw your own conclusions…which was the best part about the demo version. I mean, I’m sure after 8 years of having written the song, re-recording it exactly the same way was probably not the highest rung on the ladder of musical aspirations. Had I heard this version first, I’d probably have a hard time truly enjoying the demo version, though, because this is a powerful song. I imagine being in a crowded place (such as a high school or a sports event) and being able to blast this song really, really loudly, letting the single note riff (the creepy one that goes up…then down…everyone’s favorite part? Heh…) just penetrate and attack everyone’s ears and brain. "Funeral Marches To The Grave" has been reworked into "Melas Khole" and "The Discipline Of Earth", both tracks taking parts from the original and expanding toward other fiendish horizons. The vocal element is very strong and piercing, performed by Satyr. Despite disinterest for Satyricon’s latter releases, I must commend him for his angry delivery, full of emotion and power…it has always been apparent in any of his work. Emperor’s stuff is even tolerable on this. As I’ve noted with the new Emperor album - if Ihsahn wasn’t singing, or at least put as much focus into his voice as their earlier work, this would boast so much more conviction. The beginning of their version of "Aerie Descent" is fucking GREAT - the organs used provide such a horrifying, dark feel! That’s the Emperor feeling I crave. The classical version of "Thus March The Nightspirit" is very interesting - a fantastic translation of this song into orchestral piece. It really shows the classical influence that goes into Emperor’s songs in terms of composition and structure. I can hear this appearing in a musical or play a a soundtrack, serving for a greater picture. It really is brilliant. Both parties have some twisted ideas, but I find myself focusing mostly on the new Thorns tracks. Emperor’s stuff is cool, some great ideas floating around but I’m missing something that ties it all together - if I am go to back and listen again, it’s more out of curiosity rather than addiction, so perhaps down the road I’ll find something more in here. I await for future Thorns with a lot of interest. Currently, it seems he has a full lineup together, including a drummer. Hopefully the next direction with a full lineup will add that extra element that could turn this into the potential masterpiece that awaits. This would have been so much better if he hadn’t cheesed off with that drum machine. This release is dark, and it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with this side of metal. Again, I bought this for the demo material and that’s what I’ll be ranting about, mostly. Written By: Abbas