This Sceptred Veil will definitely be on our Best of 2022 list in December. Pros: It took me a long time to finish the album, and for good reason: I kept re-listening to the immaculate first half.Īs I eventually learned, the second half is just as strong. Standout Tracks: “You’ve Stolen the Words,” “Devil’s Daughter,” and “King Beyond the Gates” Final Thoughts on Sergeant Thunderhoof’s This Sceptred Veil Interestingly, “Part 2” also effectively uses sudden volume shifts for emphasis, as around the 3:20 mark when Flintcroft says “For then he was just a boy” and the band fades out-a moment worthy of Tool’s Lateralus. “Part 2” contains many of the same themes (and its intro may remind some listeners of We Hunt Buffalo’s Living Ghosts), but it’s much heavier out of the gate, and its bass thunders through the noise. 1” is an epic Prog track leveraging Daniel Flitcroft’s aching vocals and the band’s depressive soundscapes. “Show Don’t Tell” is admittedly a strange fit on an album that incorporates so much Prog Metal (though “Show Don’t Tell” surely has its moments), but it’s a keeper just the same. With a 4:57 runtime, it’s the shortest track on the album, and the song’s sky-high energy levels make it feel even shorter. With guitars and vocals inspired by classic Van Halen and Iron Maiden, Sergeant Thunderhoof channels the very best in ‘80s Rock and Metal. Like many tracks on this album, this song runs nearly seven minutes-but it feels like a typical four-minute rush. “King Beyond the Gates” is an impressive song, instrumentally, with its soaring guitars and head-nodding riff, but Flitcroft again steals the show, especially with his layered vocals later in the song. And that’s how much of the song develops, alternating between UK Rock royalty and Sergeant Thunderhoof’s signature sound. “Woman Call” opens on a David Gilmour-style guitar, relying on that same tone until the band reaches the chorus. Track 4: ForeignerĪ beautiful Prog track with soaring guitars and pained vocals, “Foreigner” is worth the 10+ minutes the band pumps into its experience. While this is a softer track compared to much of the record, it still has that sharp Sergeant Thunderhoof edge. After the quieter bridge and solo section, the band comes back with a fury, delivering an exhilarating close.Īlthough This Sceptred Veil leans more Prog than Psychedelic, “Absolute Blue” does have a bit of cosmic energy behind it, relying on reverb in its fuzzy guitar tone for a shroud of mystery. As on the opener, Flitcroft is in rare form, distorting his voice at will to channel as much punch as possible into his lofty vocals. “Devil’s Daughter” is easily one of the best songs on The Sceptred Veil, relying on a catchy opening guitar lick and crashing drums to launch the track at a gallop’s pace. “You’ve Stolen the Words” sets that subtle but important difference perfectly, eliciting emotion through massive riffs and soaring vocals. Instead of playing heavy in the Psychedelic sense (like the band does on 2015’s Ride of the Hoof), the band plays heavy in a Prog sense, carefully arranging their multi-sectional songs and keeping the production slick throughout. Terra Solus has what was my favorite Sergeant Thunderhoof song (“Another Plane”), which thrived on punchy riffs and a catchy chorus from Flitcroft: “ She’s made of metal!”īut “You’ve Stolen the Words”-and much of This Sceptred Veil, for that matter-is darker, deeper, and much more serious. Length: 1:07:48 Track 1: You’ve Stolen the Wordsįrom the very beginning, This Sceptred Veil is markedly different from Terra Solus, Sergeant Thunderhoof’s 2018 record and last studio album. Art and layout were conducted by Sara-Jane Swettenham. The record was recorded at Stage 2 Studios in Bath, England. Josh Gallop (of Phoxjaw) produced the album and contributed instruments and vocals on a few tracks.Tony Reed (of Mos Generator and Big Scenic Nowhere) mastered the album.This Sceptred Veil has some impressive names attached to it. Hailing from Bath, England, Sergeant Thunderhoof is:ĭaniel Flitcroft, if you don’t know, is the co-owner of Pale Wizard Records, an awesome record label that’s currently working with contemporary bands to cover some of Rock and Metal’s most important albums on their 50th anniversary (they covered Alice Cooper’s Killer last year and have since covered David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars).īack to Sergeant Thunderhoof: For This Sceptred Veil, the band draws heavily on the ancient myths and legends surrounding their hometown in the South West of England, using these stories to influence their lyrics throughout the record.
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