Having only emerged from the void late last year, the Swedish hardcore supergroup, thrown, just released their debut EP, called “Extended Pain”! Proceed with caution though because this thing hits like a battering ram to the face – consider yourself warned.
Alright – Calling them a “supergroup” might be stretching the definition of the term, a bit. This is all from my perspective, as they’re featuring past and present members from bands I’ve listened to, a lot, like Grieved, Vildhjarta, No Omega, and Humanity’s Last Breath. Where does this Stockholm-based outfit land on the collective spectrum of these bands then? I’d say somewhere in-between No Omega and Grieved, on the darker and heavier side of modern hardcore, with seriously massive breakdowns.
With a title like Extended Pain for an EP, you’d think it would last longer than the 11-minute playtime, but as soon as the sledgehammer drumsticks of Buster Odeholm (Vildhjarta/Humanity’s Last Breath) start pummelling the drum kit on the first track, “Grayout” you quickly realize that 11 minutes is just about the right amount of punishment your eardrums can take before suffering any long-lasting damage. If a bucket-wheel excavator could make music, this is what I imagine it would sound like. There’s an almost machine-like precision at play here, where everything lands exactly where it’s supposed to, which truly is a testament to Odeholm’s abilities as a producer, managing to capture the pure essence of the vocals by Marcus Lundqvist’s (ex-Grieved), hot like a furnace, as well as the absolutely sublime guitar-work of both Johan Liljeblad and Andreas Malm (ex-No Omega), who also provides some vocals here and there. It just goes, from start to finish – no respite. My only complaint, really, is that I want more.
This debut EP from thrown is exceptionally well produced and executed to perfection, and it features a phenomenal cast of musicians, all adding to the extended pain that this release was meant to inflict with its impossibly thick riffs, seething vocals and absolutely massive drums smiting you down. It goes without saying, but I can’t wait to hear what this ensemble cast of musicians pulls from the void next, and I can’t wait to witness this live next month, because truth be told, as truly enjoyable as this is to listen to, on record, live is where it really happens for this kind of music, in the pit or up front, where you get to feel the pure unadulterated energy in its true form.
