Thousand Limbs has been on the scene now for a few years (since 2016) and have gained quite the following since, for their powerhouse of instrumental metal.
Now, if you are also a fan of Kerretta and Nine Inch Nails then Thousand Limbs will be right up your alley.
Here is their long awaited debut, The Aurochs, and let me tell you, this is a debut you want to know about.
Ten tracks of ferocity and a journey that ebbs and flows with consistent musicianship, solid riffs and immense power.
Instrumental metal in particular is not for everyone. Without lyrics, it takes a different kind of listening to understand context. The Aurochs is quite the masterpiece of what it means to execute this well, and if you’re ready for the journey it takes you on, then dive on in.
With tracks like A Dim Light To Guide, which is not only devastatingly heavy and sludgy in all the right places, rather than taking you down a dark hole, which in theory sounds like it should, it actually does quite the opposite and I hear it as a pretty uplifting piece. The bass notes are hitting in all the right spots and the trajectory of riffs are perfect.
Elsewhere, you’ll find tracks somewhat on the ‘lighter’ side with Evening Haze. An instrumental metal lullaby if you will. It’s haunting but also has many layers which takes the listener on a guided journey. Lots of arrangements on this number which also shows the diversity of Thousand Limbs.
Beneath Soil and Stone is also a great example of their diversity, and to my ears has a solid Trent Reznor touch to it while still holding their own. Again, it’s layers reveal so much more, especially after a few listens. This kind of musicianship takes great talent and finesses, which The Aurochs has in abundance.
If you’re in the market for something that really make you think, then please do check out The Aurochs. A solid masterpiece.
Formed in the winter of 2016 in Auckland New Zealand, instrumental metal quartet Thousand Limbs perform a dense and melancholic blend of Doom, Post-Metal and Hardcore.
Having released 2 EPs: Woe in 2018, and Mara in 2020, Thousand Limbs are set to release their debut long player The Aurochs in the summer of 2022
Photo Credit: Anna Vasilyeva-Bycroft