Thorn – Crawling Worship

Defined as sharp, pointed spicule, or person who’s irksome, solo Phoenix based Thorn delivers LP “Crawling Worship” resonating chambered phantasmal intonation. With a demo & split under his belt, Brennen Westermeyer’s musical dexterity punctures into your veins, galvanized by Grind & Powerviolence, succinct compositions integrating elements of Death Doom, Post Metal & Sludge.

Artwork done by Tanner Conrad, who’s also done covers for Graven Maul & Skullcrush, as well as logo work for Deathbloom, Harad & Predatory Instinct. Cover has hues of lilac, cobalt, & blue gray infundibular setting, observing the swirling vacuity detailed with a chantry and bordered with prickly thistles.

What caught my attention was the use of Thelema founder Aleister Crowley’s poetry on “Prologue: The Pentagram” & “Respite: An Oath” (wonder why no one has used stanzas from his notorious “Leah Sublime” sonnet). Showing devotion to acroamatic beings, tempos range from treading desolate to bludgeoning alacrity.

Between ten tracks, roughly half an hour to savor into contrasts written from one perspective. Album kicks in after the mentioned intro track, with “Behemoth Awakened”, fluctuating momentum with tinge of reverberated melodic riffs, accentuating its heinous milieu. Favored tracks featured are orphic “Maw of Eternity”, thunderous bellowed cadence combined with hammering percussion, canorous meaty bass lines, & momentary sentiment of clarity by the dismal outro leaves an impression. “Abyssal Shroud”, instant blasting speculating is to be fast paced but gradually mitigates, coordinating with lyrics “ My spirit shrouded in a mist. Blindly wandering, forever adrift. Succumb to the abyss. Surrender to the nothingness” abruptly ending.

Speaking of lyrics, closing track “Phosphorescent Glow” ends with the term “as above, so below” corresponding to writings like “The Kybalion”, & pioneered by occultist writers, like Helena P. Blavatsky in her esoteric philosophy book “Isis Unveiled”. An admirable production! (Tori Belle)