Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: The World Is A Thorn
Year: 2010
Label: Solid State Records
Website: http://www.demonhunter.net/main.php
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/demonhunter
Twitter: @demonhunterband
Buy: iTunes - Amazon - Official Store
Sounds Like: All That Remains, Trivium, Chimaira, The Ascendicate, Soilwork, Duran Duran, August Burns Red, Job For A Cowboy, Miseration, Throwdown, Living Sacrifice, Soul Embraced, Mushroomhead, The Showdown, Lamb Of Gods, Sepultura, The More Things Change, Machine Head, Pantera, Slayer
Rating: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

The sound of Jesus leading his flock to a musical path that was built on the foundation of hedonism and power. Demon Hunter is well defined as their fifth album “The World Is A Thorn” merging its aggressive metalcore and nu-metal with catchy melodic pop. Produced by veteran Aaron Sprinkle (Fair, Acceptance, Anberlin, The Almost) and mixed by Jason Suecof (All That Remains, Chimaira, August Burns Red, Trivium), vocalist Ryan Clark explains: “The album title refers to often detrimental and destructive world in which we live. Most songs are about the current state of the nation and the world itself. In particular, the lyrics point to the ideals of a nation without God and the depletion of our morals and values”.

A harmonic guitar preludes by the new member Ryan Helm takes off “Descending Upon Us” with a chaotic and aggressive cry that denounces idolatry: “Save your plea for the day that we suffer the wake of this treason / Rain like fire descending upon us in holy resolve, upon this ground”. Synchronously, “Lifewar” adds a tremendous blunder to the disc, with too parametric drums bursts of screams that make you remember the mediocre nu-metal time of 2000’s and bands like American Head Charge. Fortunately, the track does not last long and opens up the album’s first single “Collapsing” which has the appearance of Björn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork in a lyric that offers hope to anyone struggling with the death (1 John 2:10), also starring a delightful guitar solo, an introduction of synthesizers that passed during the rest of the song: “I see the weight of hollow death residing in you / Take now your final breath, exhale the truth / I see the fear of nothing left, dead fragments of youth / You hold it in yourself, I feel it too”. Continuing the theme of spiritual warfare, “This Is The Line” draws us the metaphor to be strong in our faith and to prevail against the powers that threaten God’s standpoint and our viewpoint towards our relation to the world (Isaiah 30:17). Drizzle of hardcore and black metal with a dark tone yells the following lines: “This is a battle. We Are The Blade / And this is the line, this is the line / All that they build we will break. This is the line”. Delivering some balance to the disc, through orchestral violins and one of Clark’s best performance, we find “Driving Nails” a passionate ballad about restored hope of our sinful nature (Romans 7:25): “It’s driving nails into my soul and angels from my door / Driving nails into my soul. Something else inside”. The titletrack “The World Is A Thorn” is about the things we are not, and those that we refuse to be, because our faith is lay in Christ alone (1 Chronicles 16:25-26), with Yogi Watts’s brutal drums and Clark’s disturbed grunts: “Won’t bow to man. Won’t bow to government / Won’t trust in a failed system of self-fulfilling lust / Won’t love a world where my God is mocked. I defy”. The desperate and distraught “Tie This Around Your Neck” compares the false promises of the world with a rope tied on our necks by the world and its pleasures (Psalm 107:42), with traces of Sepultura, The More Things Change, Machine Head and sparkling melodies: “Save your breath, my son, just carry on home / Time will prey on you, and take you through hell”. Encouraging us to proceed even though the suffering continues driving us down (Psalm 10:17), “Just Breathe” features the participation of Christian Älvestam of Miseration (ex-Scar Symmetry) and some synths that complement the versatility and talent of this duet. Provocateurs metal drums in “Shallow Weater” sleepwalking defy those prone to God’s call to recognize that they will reap all the seeds we have sown (Matthew 7:26). The sacrifices we make as Christians are not seen as oppression but as a means to make our life more fruitful and useful. Dave Peters of Throwdown joins “As Thought You Could Feel” that describes the self-lie as a road to perdition (John 2:21). Some prefer an aggressive denouement, others as in my case, opted for songs like “Blood In The Tears” with Driving Nails influences, reflecting our occasional longing for a physical sign of the existence of God and His will in our lives. Also ask God that the tears of their enemies become drops of blood, to produce an attitude of reverence in those who haven’t believed and that these tears are used as a path through Christ (2 Chronicles 32:24). On the other hand we find the first bonus track, “Desire The Pain” with spiritual and controversial metaphors about divorce “I desire the pain. I desire the weight / And I will face my grave / I desire remorse. I desire release / And I will chase this away”. Finally the String Mix of “Driving Nails” consolidates this hymn in an epic and successful way.

One of the most representative bands of Solid State Records and the Christian metal market has surprised us this year with hints that we might never expect. “The World Is A Thorn” is clearly a progression of the new sound of the band, their evolution and the perfect test that they remain being the highest pillars of the genre.

El sonido de Jesús conduciendo a su rebaño por un camino musical que fue construido sobre los cimientos del hedonismo y el poder. Es así como Demon Hunter define su quinto álbum “The World Is A Thorn”, fusionando su agresivo metalcore y nu-metal con pegajoso pop melódico. Producido por el veterano Aaron Sprinkle (Fair, Acceptance, Anberlin, The Almost) y mezclado por Jason Suecof (All That Remains, Chimaira, August Burns Red, Trivium), el vocalista Ryan Clark nos explica: “El título del álbum se refiere al a menudo perjudicial y destructivo mundo en que vivimos. La mayoría de las canciones tratan sobre el estado actual de la nación y del mundo en sí. En particular, las letras apuntan a los ideales de un pueblo sin Dios y el agotamiento de nuestra moral y valores”.

Un preludio de guitarras harmónicas a cargo del nuevo integrante Ryan Helm se despega con “Descending Upon Us”, con un caótico y agresivo grito que denuncia la idolatría: “Save your plea for the day that we suffer the wake of this treason / Rain like fire descending upon us in holy resolve, upon this ground”. Sincronizadamente, “Lifewar” agrega un tremendo desacierto al disco, con tambores demasiado paramétricos, ráfagas de gritos que te hacen recordar la mediocre época del nu-metal por el año 2000 y bandas como American Head Charge. Por suerte, el track no dura mucho y abre paso al primer sencillo del álbum “Collapsing” que cuenta con la aparición de Björn “Speed” Strid de Soilwork en una lírica que ofrece esperanza a alguien que lucha con la muerte (1ª de Juan 2:10), además protagonizando un deleitoso solo de guitarra, una introducción de sintetizadores que repercutan durante el resto de la canción: “I see the weight of hollow death residing in you / Take now your final breath, exhale the truth / I see the fear of nothing left, dead fragments of youth / You hold it in yourself, I feel it too”. Continuando con la temática de guerra espiritual, “This Is The Line” nos dibuja la metáfora de ser fuertes en nuestra fe y prevalecer ante los poderes que ponen en peligro el punto de vista de Dios y el nuestro con respecto al mundo (Isaías 30:17). Garúas de hardcore y black metal que con un tono oscuro nos grita las siguientes líneas: “This is a battle. We Are The Blade / And this is the line, this is the line / All that they build we will break. This is the line”. Entregando algo de equilibrio al disco, mediante orquestales violines y uno de las mejores performance de Clark, nos encontramos con “Driving Nails” una apasionad balada sobre la esperanza restauradora de nuestra naturaleza pecaminosa (Romanos 7:25): “It’s driving nails into my soul and angels from my door / Driving nails into my soul. Something else inside”. El titletrack “The World Is A Thorn” se trata de las cosas que no somos, y aquellas que nos rehusamos a ser, ya que nuestra fe descansa solamente en Cristo (1ª Crónicas 16:25-26), con los brutales tambores de Yogi Watts y los perturbados gruñidos de Clark: “Won’t bow to man. Won’t bow to government / Won’t trust in a failed system of self-fulfilling lust / Won’t love a world where my God is mocked. I defy”. La desesperada y angustiada “Tie This Around Your Neck” compara las falsas promesas del mundo con una soga atada a nuestros cuellos por el mundo y sus placeres (Salmos 107:42), con rasgos de Sepultura, The More Things Change, Machine Head y chispeantes melodías: “Save your breath, my son, just carry on home / Time will prey on you, and take you through hell”. Alentándonos a seguir adelante aunque el sufrimiento nos siga abatiendo (Salmos 10:17), “Just Breathe” cuenta con la participación de Christian Älvestam de Miseration (ex-Scar Symmetry) y de algunos sintetizadores que se complementan con la versatilidad y talento de este dueto. Los provocadores tambores metal en “Shallow Weater”, desafían aquellos propensos sonámbulos al llamado de Dios reconociendo que ellos cosecharán todas las semillas que hemos sembrado (Mateo 7:26). Los sacrificios que hacemos como cristianos nos son vistos como opresión, sino como un medio para que nuestra vida sea más fructífera y útil. Dave Peters de Throwdown se suma a “Feel As Throught You Could” que describe el engañarnos a nosotros mismos como un camino a la perdición (Juan 2:21). Algunos prefieres un desenlace agresivo, otros como en mi caso, optamos por canciones como “Blood In The Tears” con influencias de Driving Nails, que refleja nuestro esporádico anhelo por una señal física sobre la existencia de Dios y de su voluntad en nuestras vidas. Además le pide a Dios que las lágrimas de sus enemigos se conviertan en gotas de sangre, para producir una actitud reverente en aquellos que no han creído y que estas lágrimas sean utilizadas como un sendero hacia Cristo (2ª Crónicas 32:24). Por otro lado nos encontramos con el primer bonus track, “Desire The Pain” con metáforas espirituales y controversiales sobre el divorcio “I desire the pain. I desire the weight / And I will face my grave / I desire remorse. I desire release / And I will chase this away”. Por último la versión en violines de “Driving Nails (String Mix)” consolida este himno de una manera épica y acertada.

Una de las bandas más representativas de Solid State Records y del metal cristiano, nos ha sorprendido este año con matices que tal vez nunca esperábamos. “The World Is A Thorn” claramente es una progresión del nuevo sonido de la banda, su evolución y la prueba perfecta de que continúan siendo los supremos pilares del género.