Three-piece hardcore band do it with a smile on Engineer Records!
Everyone has their favourite tipple, but this band favour coffee; in fact, Thronk! are seemingly powered by it… We are told that four bags of coffee were consumed in the studio on day one of recording the tracks for ‘Kick Me While I’m Down’. This self-described power-punk trio are Newport/Weston-Super-Mare based, and their drummer, Rich Brown, was the original Split Dogs drummer (one for the fact fans). This particular EP is their first one on Engineer Records, and a debut album is already in the works.
Thronk! are:
Andrew Lee Davies – Vocals and bass
Matt Bartlett – Guitar and vocals
Rich Brown – Drums and backing vocals
This 5-track EP certainly doesn’t hang about, and it is old school skate-core personified. Thronk! are also a band with a sense of humour, so I would happily file them under similar bands such as Pizza Tramp and The Stupids. Their influences are spread far and wide, including the likes of Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio, Sick Of It All, The Damned, Nomeansno and Manic Street Preachers, to name just a few.
‘Kick Me While I’m Down’ was recorded by Jeff Rose of Dub War/Skindred fame, at Unit 28 Studios in Newport, and by Charlie Linton at 13 Sounds Studios in Weston-Super-Mare. Another thing you should also know about Thronk!.…They LOVE ‘Bombay Bad Boy‘ Pot Noodles and have even written a song about them!
First track, ‘There’s No A.I In Team‘, quite rightly bemoans the use of artificial intelligence in the art sector. This song is soundtracked by some proper old school hardcore that even manages to sound like Suicidal Tendencies at times. It possesses a heavy beat-down chorus and ends with a brilliant poem by the original ‘Running Punk’, Joyce’s Jimmy Watkins (ex- Future Of The Left, Vega Bodegas and Great Britain 800 metres athlete). A good start to the EP that made me want to wear a bandana over my eyes and form a one-man circle pit.
‘Super Mario Clart‘ starts with a chunky bass intro, then gets mid-paced on our arses, complete with a heavy breakdown section and some natty guitar playing, reminiscent of Refused. No, ‘The Black Stuff‘ is NOT about the tarmac on our roads. The sample sounds of a whirring coffee machine should give you a clue, as this breakneck caffeine-based song takes off like a rocket. The quickfire vocal attack reminded me of 90’s thrashers, Bomb Disneyland, and by the end of the song, I felt like I’d downed a couple of hot cups of that go faster juice.
The penultimate song on this EP is called ‘Untie Yourself‘, and it’s a slightly more melodic affair in its vocal delivery. All good things must come to an end, of course, and in this case, it comes in the form of a song called rather catchily, ‘I.D.S.P.I.S.P.O.P.D‘. A fast bass intro kicks this one off, and there’s even a doom-metal style bridge to the song to shake your long locks to. This ditty features a guest appearance from Jon St. John, who was the original voice actor on the Duke Nukem 3D game (more for the fact fans). “All hail to the Thronk! baby!”, the band proclaim, before this enjoyable EP comes to a halt.
“The whole thing is just a love affair with our personality. We wanted a laugh, but we wanted it to come across as a laser-focused laugh with a serious message to boot. We’ve certainly achieved it and the future will be an exciting one” says Andrew.
Thronk! have produced a very enjoyable EP, and this is the kind of hardcore I can get onboard with. No messing, old school punk/HC, with a sense of humour. They are playing at Rebellion Festival in August, on the back of a UK tour with Grade 2, so be sure to catch them at a local mosh pit near you!
Grab your copy of ‘Kick Me While I’m Down’ from HERE
- There’s no A.I. in Team
- Super Mario Clart
- Black Stuff
- Untie Yourself
- IDSPISPOPD
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I have been writing reviews for Brighton & Hove News, and more recently Vive Le Rock magazine for a few years now. Previously, I could be spotted playing drums for many a band over the decades. A noisy habit developed whilst wearing short trousers at school, and one that has had me touring around the UK and Europe. Punk rock is my life, but I am also quite eclectic. I am an avid gig go-er and music devourer, and can feel out of sorts if a gig date is not on the horizon. I have also been known to put gigs on myself in order to fill those gaps.
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