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Lysandre Pons

REVIEW: Sergeant Thunderhoof - The Ghost of Badon Hill

As time passes, making something new becomes increasingly challenging and keeping an overfed and overstimulated audience of listeners even more. However, going back to your roots is one way to do it, and Sergeant Thunderhoof spared no effort with their 5th studio album, 'The Ghost of Badon Hill', and have gone the extra mile by taking us on a journey through time. This new opus is a folklore-inspired concept album set in the 4th century AD, and more precisely during Somerset’s famous Battle of Badon. After their last acclaimed album ‘This Sceptred Veil’, the Somerset quintet comes back with the promise of a six track tale charged in epically raw emotion and Arthurian mysticism.


The curtain opens on 'Badon' which sets our scene. From the first note, it builds an atmospheric and nature-oriented vision of a battlefield with air flowing, creating the calm before the storm. The band comes in as our bards telling the tale. Soon, the flare of marching drums compromises the peace, to remind us that this is a pre-battle lament. We can feel the intensity and anticipation through its huge chorus with a heartbeat-like rhythm and a deeply powerful sound. It is emotional and ritualistic, a masterful display of unity and resonance.



We transition into 'Blood Moon', the album’s leading single. It loses no time in surprising us with some different vocals, as Daniel Flitcroft does a display of strength with gritty and powerful vocals giving a glimpse of his range. The track has an impactful progressive metal quality with its amplified guitar-driven sound, power chords and dissonance. Jim Camp’s dense bass and Darren Ashman’s drums remind us that we are stepping into the action and progressing in the story.


'The Orb Of Octavia' gains more ground with a Tool-like orchestration, lower and slower but rhythmic and precise nonetheless. The low-pitched vocals feel suspended in time, as if we are floating through a battlefield and able to look around at all that is happening around the band and listener. It builds up into a heavier sound which perfectly brings us on to the next song on the album.


We enter 'Salvation For The Soul' with Darren Ashman’s drums taking the lead, feeling full of power and bombast. As we’re making our way towards the end already, this track feels like a renewal of strength, an encouragement or rallying cry by a fellow soldier. This is used as a stepping stone for Flitcroft’s lyrical musings, showing his wide range once more from high to low pitch. It ends on a ferocious note, a call to arms to make our way furtther into the listening experience.



The pain of the battle is felt throughout 'Sentinel' with a thicker, doom metal inspired sound. Its slower tempos, repetitive rhythms and low-tuned guitars build a feeling of dread that leaves us biting our nails for the last song. The addition of the piano at the end creates an unexpected softness, uncertainty and vulnerability that allows for some introspection on the rest of the album, before our final charge.


The 45 minute long adventure comes to an end with 'Beyond The Hill'. Opening on a resonating bass, we heed its last call and warning. This almost eleven minute long conclusion takes us back through everything that we've listened through, with distortion and a lot of tempo variations. As the song fades, you can hear the sound of birds making their way back to cycle right back to the natural opening of the album, and showing the futility of battle, as nature will return right after we're done fighting.


'The Ghost of Badon Hill' is story-rich, textured and immersive. It grabs us in from the first note and does not let go. Sergeant Thunderhoof have accomplished a total victory with this masterful piece of music, that will captivate you from beginning to end. There will not be another release like this, so come release day make sure you've blocked out an hour to fully absorb everything on display here - and don't forget to join them in battle to hear it all live too!


'The Ghost of Badon Hill' will be released on November 15th via Pale Wizard Records.


Their next battlefields will be:

November 22nd - Saltbox, Nottingham

November 23rd - Corporation, Sheffield

January 31st - Planet Desert Rock Weekend, Las Vegas

March 1st - Glastonbury Calling, Glastonbury

March 13th - Hard Rock Hell Festival, Yarmouth


Words: Lysandre Pons

Photos: Sergeant Thunderhoof

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