Sep 21, 2020
Thorr-Axe / Archarus - The Hobbit Split
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Argentina
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Argentina
Thorr-Axe / Archarus - The Hobbit Split
Thorr-Axe - “Dragon King” 2011
4 track album
I also play bass in an established band now. This is our most recent release (recorded before I joined).
Indy's Archarus and Thorr-Axe Team For Epic Tribute To The Hobbit
By Melissa Marie (D&S Midwest)
The past several years have yielded massive milestones for the Midwest heavy underground. Top drawer releases, North American and European tours, independent festivals (I'm looking at you, Erosion Fest), and thousands of staunchly loyal fans are evidence of a vibrant scene that continues to kick stubbornly against popular trends. We got a glimpse of the best slow 'n' low talent the region had to offer at the first annual Doomed & Stoned Festival in Indianapolis this past November, where acts like Archarus, Conjurer, Drude, Gorgantherron, Thorr Axe, and Void King wowed our humble little gathering.
Now two of these Indiana hitters, ARCHARUS and THORR-AXE, have joined forces to chronicle scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal novel, The Hobbit. As Archarus enters its third year and Thorr-Axe nears its tenth, those of us who've been keeping track of their songwriting and performances can't help but marvel at how much they've grown musically. 'The Hobbit Split' (2017), as it has become known, gives us four well-conceived tracks from Thorr-Axe and three from Archarus.
Last year, Archarus guitarist and singer Matt Hannon departed to pursue other goals and guitarist Drew Smith stepped up to helm the trio. As any band knows, lineup adjustments can sometimes bring growing pains, but Archarus has adapted gracefully. Smith's voice is the clearest I've heard on this full-length split, despite a few moments of hesitation. In their three-song offering, Archarus present a stronger metallic edge and seem a bit more adventurous in their material than we've heard previously. Continuing with their self-described stoner-thrash sound, Archarus seek to win us over straight away with "Foehammer," a real headbanger that would fit in beautifully on their debut, 'Render Unto Archarus' (2015). However, the high-energy songs that follow truly capture the spirit of this concept split. "Flies and Spiders" is a must-hear, embracing a fist-raising, true metal sound, complete with a shredding guitar solo. "Erabor" contrasts with a slower, groove-laden strut ideal for a late night driving.
Thorr-Axe / Archarus - The Hobbit Split-Album by Archarus
There's a lot to be said about the flip side, too. Thorr-Axe is a band you just gotta love. Tucker Thomasson formed this outfit as a teenager and, despite the foul metalcore scene in town, this foursome have managed to stay strong. I first caught wind of Thorr-Axe a couple years after 'Wall Of Spears' (2011) was turned loose. At the time, I was captivated, but totally unaware they were an Indiana band. Since then, they've come to be known as "Indiana's High On Fire" -- a well-deserved title at that.
Many identified their following LP, 'Gates Of Winter' (2015), as a defining point for Thorr-Axe with its black metal influence bleeding through the thick wall of riffs. On this split before us, they forge characteristics of heavy riffs and tribal drumming with fast tremolo guitar picking and bleak vocals, craftily landing again somewhere in the middle of doom and black metal.
Thorr-Axe / Archarus - The Hobbit Split by Thorr-Axe
It is practically impossible to pick just one track as a favorite, "Battle of Five Armies" being a prime example. Barely two minutes into this eight-minute closer and there is an eruption of blackened fury that suits Thorr-Axe so well. Intricate guitar melodies, fierce war-like rhythm and heavy riffs ensure this is epic song is one that you will make you want to listen to the whole damn thing all over again. Hints of folk influence are to be found, too, not only in the aforementioned track, but also in "Whispers In the Dark" -- another that's sure to become a fan favorite. This track grows into one large crescendo as Thorr-Axe fearlessly takes us into battle.
One thing to keep in mind while listening to the split is that it's not "based on" The Hobbit. In a sense, this is The Hobbit. Both bands are telling the actual story. Another obvious hint that this is not your traditional split is the how it was pieced together. Sure, many metal bands write songs based on fantasy elements. However, Thorr-Axe and Archarus don't allow themselves to be limited in how they present the recording. You'll notice the tracks play in an order that may seem random, but was surely intentional. The approach from beginning to end is virtually flawless. What started out as a personal project between friends became a fascinating record that metal fans all over the spectrum can appreciate and enjoy. Tucker Thomasson recently told me he was very happy with the end result. He better damn be.
Follow Archarus and Thorr-Axe and get the split LP here and here.
Doomed & Stoned – Mad, Mad March!
Doomed & Stoned – Mad, Mad March!
Oh, yes. I know you’ve been waiting for this. 20 damning, downtuned, doom tracks by 20 bands for the month of March! There’s a lot of new talent here and I’ve picked out some of the heaviest for you. This nearly 2+ hour cast covers a range of doom styles from around the world: sludge to psychedelic to traditional and contemporary.
View On WordPress
With D&S Fest Looming, We Talk to Opening Act, Thorr-Axe
~Interview by Melissa Marie~
This Friday is it! The advent of the first ever Doomed & Stoned Festival in Indianapolis, located right smack dab in the core of Midwestern doom metal and stoner rock. Words cannot express how elated I am to meet long-time supporters of Doomed & Stoned, and those of you who are just there for the riffs! To get you amped up about the weekend, we thought it would be cool to talk to opening act, Thorr-Axe.
As you know, I've been a longtime supporter of Thorr-Axe. I still spin "Wall of Spears" regularly. 2016 seems to be a big year for you guys, thanks at least in part to your excellent 2015 release "Gates of Winter". How have you been doing?
Not too shabby! We've been hitting the road to push Gates Of Winter as much as we can, given our day jobs. After a busy year locally, we're going to be scaling back a little bit to work on some things we aren't at liberty to discuss yet.
Gates Of Winter by Thorr-Axe
Thorr-Axe does an impressive job picking up gigs, even if some might fall through in the end. Certainly not bound to Indiana, I see you are about to embark on tour headed west of here. Being such a DIY band, how difficult is it to line up these dates of shows and ensure everything goes according to plan?
We're a very networking-driven group of guys. We know a lot of people from the magical internet realms that have helped us out a lot over the years, and we also never shut the hell up, so meeting and conversing with other bands has always been a driving force for us going places. Meeting people is a big part of the adventure. Picking up shows really isn't hard. People are generally good everywhere you go. Keeping things on course is a whole other thing. Sometimes one of us needs to take charge if a load in runs behind or one of us needs to help slow locals get offstage to make sure every band gets to play before 3AM. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, though.
Thorr-Axe has a subtle touch of black metal hidden under all those crushing riffs. I think a lot of people may look at your album covers, especially "Gates of Winter" and expect some cheesy stereotypical Viking metal sound, but that's way off. What made Thorr-Axe move into a frosty, blackened atmosphere and what are some of your favorite black metal bands?
It was kind of just wanting to find a way to tell stories in our lyrics in a more appropriate fashion. There's some very urgent stuff in there, and we wanted the music to be able to carry that, rather than be incredibly tongue in cheek. Some of my favorites include Dissection, Emperor, Weakling, Wolves In The Throne Room, and Young And In The Way.
Favorite Thorr-Axe memory?
Probably drinking beers in our van doing 80 on some of the highways out west. The vastness of the land out there really is daunting, to the point that the only thing you can really do is sit back and have a beer.
Going back to the early Thorr-Axe days, you formed this band as a teenager and it was actually your first band ever. What influenced you at a young age to form a heavy metal band?
When I first heard metal, it just seemed like raw power being funneled into my being. Being a musician, makes me feel like I'm somehow harnessing and directing this power, often projected through riffs and cloaked in an atmosphere that can be created. The power of those things and being able to share them and elicit a response from a listener, or put them in the shoes of the story is what drives me to create and keep doing this.
Tell us about some of your other musical projects.
My most active other one is my It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia band called Crowtein, in which I play with Niko Albanese. We have an album out now called "King Ov The Rats", and we're likely going to start on our second one soon.
Thorr-Axe opens the first ever Doomed & Stoned Festival! As you know, Cough will be headlining the night you play. What can we expect from Thorr-Axe on Friday? You're energetic as fuck, so I know you guys are gonna turn heads.
Expect our usual building leveling antics. We're going to be at our leanest and meanest.
What's next for Thorr-Axe?
We have a couple things we're working on. As for gigs, we're going to be aggressively expanding, so we may be scarce in Indiana for a bit. Take advantage of this knowledge and come see us at Doomed & Stoned Fest!
DOOMED & STONED FEST PREVIEW!
In just a matter of days, the first annual Doomed & Stoned Festival will emerge from the heavy underground like a ghastly beast awakened from its slumber. 5th Quarter Lounge in Indianapolis will play host to this two-day event, November 18th & 19th, 2016. In this week's Doomed & Stoned Podcast, we interview chief architect behind the festival Melissa Collins, executive editor of Doomed & Stoned. She gives us a band-by-band preview of each day, a line-up that brings together for the first time some of the most excited acts in the American Midwest.
More than a music fest, this is the first real meet-up of Doomed & Stoned fans since the inception of our social media revolution in 2013. We look forward to meeting those of you we've been friends with online for so many years. Get your tickets at www.DoomedandStonedFestival.com. Weekend passes are on sale until Wednesday (11/16), after which a limited number of daily tickets will be sold. I can't wait to meet you all!
PLAYLIST
1. Intro [00:00] (Youngblood Supercult - "Before the Dawn" & Demon Eye - "Black Winds")
DAY ONE (11/18) 2. Thorr-Axe - "Mountain Crusher" [04:20] 3. Archarus - "The Last of the Giants" [08:46] 4. Conjurer - "Singularity" [12:25] 5. Drude - "Drude" [17:22] 6. Heavy Temple - "King Bastard" [26:23] 7. Gorgantherron - "Lost In Space" [32:47] 8. Youngblood Supercult - "High Places" [36:00] 9. Merlin - "Bad Trip" [41:16] 10. Toke - "Blackened" [44:34] 11. COUGH - "Haunter of the Dark" [48:40]
DAY TWO (11/19) 12. Spirit Division - "Whispers in the Embers" [57:06] 13. Void King - "Canyon Hammer" [1:03:00] 14. Foghound - "Message in the Sky" [1:10:02] 15. Horehound - "Waking Time" [1:14:29] 16. Beelzefuzz - "Nazriff" [1:19:57] 17. Witchhelm - "And So Doom Begets Life" [1:23:58] 18. Black Urn - "Spindle of Spires (The Pangs of Our Covenant)" [1:30:30] 19. Clouds Taste Satanic - "We Die We Live" [1:43:10] 20. Pale Divine - "Shadows of Death" [1:49:24] 21. Horseburner- "Into Black Resolution" [1:55:33] 22. Demon Eye - "Leave The Light" [2:02:06] 23. Brimstone Coven - "Cosmic Communion" [2:06:56] 24. Bell Witch - "I Wait" [2:11:55]
Outro: 25. Toke- "Winter Wizard" [2:25:54]
www.DoomedandStonedFestival.com
Feb. 25th 2015
Wall of Spears by Thorr-Axe