Bodies opens with a sound that’s instantly familiar — a dense, polished heaviness built from deep basslines, grooving guitar riffs, and drums that hit with mechanical precision. From the moment “DIESEL” kicks in, Thornhill dive into an industrial-flavored groove that’s tight, clean, and undeniably heavy. The production is razor-sharp, and the low-end rumble dominates in all the right ways — it’s the kind of sound that makes the floor shake and the air vibrate.
But while Bodies hits hard sonically, it doesn’t always hit where it counts most — the heart. There’s a clear creative intention here: Thornhill are fusing the grit and swagger of early-2000s nu-metal with the moody, ambient textures of modern post-metal and alt rock. It’s a compelling blend on paper. The issue is that, too often, the execution feels more studied than inspired.
Tracks like “Revolver” and “Silver Swarm” channel Deftones’ signature whisper-scream dynamics and thick, downtuned riffing with surgical precision. The grooves are undeniable, the tones immaculate — yet the emotion feels distant, like the band are expertly performing someone else’s music rather than fully inhabiting their own. There’s skill in every layer, but the passion feels filtered through imitation.
Thankfully, Bodies isn’t without its moments of clarity. “Only Ever You” stands out immediately — a song where the band drop the disguise and let something genuine shine through. The vocal delivery feels less processed, more human. The song breathes, building naturally between its soft and heavy passages instead of forcing the contrast. For once, the weight of the music feels earned. Here, Thornhill sound not like imitators, but themselves — brooding, textured, and emotionally grounded.
That authenticity continues, albeit briefly, through “Fall Into the Wind” and “For Now.” These tracks slow the pace and trade distortion for atmosphere, leaning into airy, ambient tones that hover between melancholy and release. They’re not the album’s flashiest moments, but they carry a quiet honesty. In contrast, heavier cuts like “TONGUES” and “Nerv” fall back into safer habits — walls of sound that blur into themselves, with predictable drops and vocal phrasing that fade before they fully connect. It’s expertly constructed modern metal, but it lacks the danger or surprise that keeps listeners coming back.
Then comes “CRUSH” — a late-album curveball that changes everything. Eerie synths and reverb-soaked vocals drift through a dreamlike haze, landing somewhere between industrial shoegaze and post-rock. It’s detached from the rest of the album’s aesthetic, but that’s what makes it work. “CRUSH” feels alive, unpredictable — proof that Thornhill can subvert expectations when they let instinct take the lead. It’s a fleeting but powerful glimpse of what Bodies could have been if that spirit ran throughout.
The closer, “Under the Knife,” ties the record together with restrained aggression — a perfect balance of distortion, groove, and mood. It’s almost as if the band finally reach the sound they’ve been chasing all along: heavy yet meditative, forceful yet reflective. It’s a strong ending that hints at a more confident direction.
In the end, Bodies is an album that sounds incredible but feels conflicted. The production is immaculate, the musicianship undeniable, and the grooves are crushing. Yet beneath that technical mastery lies a band still searching for an identity that’s truly their own. When Thornhill step out from behind their influences — when they stop recreating and start expressing — the results are genuinely exciting.
Bodies is heavy, sleek, and expertly crafted, but it’s also emotionally uncertain — a record caught between imitation and innovation. The best moments aren’t the loudest or the heaviest, but the ones where Thornhill remember who they are.
NOTABLE TRACKS:
CRUSH
Under the Knife
For Now