The Thermals

The Thermals are looking to make a statement. Their new, highly stylized album, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, lets a buyer know what they're getting into the minute they look at the cover art. The Thermals are not here to fuck around and play hold-my-hand indie rock - they're storming through our stereo systems and headphones to preach a morbid gospel of blood and religious fervor that would make Noah shit his pants...and let's not even discuss how that pussy Moses would have reacted when faced with the driving album opener of "Here's Your Future."

And while I myself have succumbed and joined the driving cult of punk rock fury that is the Thermals, I'm going to admit that this is not a perfect album. Yes, the Thermals do sound tight as fuck. But The Body, The Blood, The Machine is a record - despite its futuristic nuances - of this decade. Citizens of the United States are currently living in an country whose highest government officials seem to liken themselves to prophets. They fear more for the moral climate of the world than everyday problems such as unemployment, poor school systems, and race relations. And, for whats it's worth, today's politicians don't even need God to burn bushes or threaten the world with floods and plagues of grasshoppers; they have their SUV's, their atom bombs, and their special "ignore environmental reports" sunglasses to take care of the devastation of our planet for them. So the biggest problem for this reviewer is that, for her nerves' sake, she has to feel as if The Body, The Blood, The Machine is a record that only sums up the disillusioned atmosphere of this decade, or else what's even the point?

Although this a good - shit, maybe even a great record - it's hard to immediately embrace it. And maybe, despite my half-unwillingness for it to appeal to future generations of music lovers, that of-the-moment quality is exactly what makes the album so great. It may not be an entirely accurate portayal of today's national climate (because, despite what every liberal college student seems to think, there are citizens of the USA who do indeed like where the country is headed), this expressionistic snapshot of an album mirrors exactly how I feel about the United States today. My optimistic revulsion aside, I can't help but be seduced by the Thermals.

Of course, the fact that the music is also amazing can't hurt. "Here's Your Future" is the type of album opener which grabs a listener and makes them feel as if they're suddenly within a cinematic moment. Singer/guitarist Hutch Harris hits his Bible and screams a mixture of history and urgent prophecies like a desperate Jehovah's Witness on a college campus, until the listener is stuck in fierce, awkward anticipation. And if you're still not convinced, listen to the kickass driving rhythm of "St. Rosa & The Swallows." While the song is a desolate paean to the song's protagonist, looking for anything to make him feel safe and connected to the future, there's also an ecstatic thrill as the music dissolves into one lovely pipe organ note. Admittedly, not all of the songs are quite as engaging as those two - I'm looking at you, "I Might Need for You To Kill," which compared to the romping, stomping "Here's Your Future," should have much more energy and not sound so docile (although the awesome and jarring transition between "I Might Need" and "An Ear for Baby" does make up for about 75% percent of this early-album sudden energy drop). But there are plenty of other songs here which will capture the minds and imaginations of those already deeply concerned with the future. It might not be an album that will help you relax after a long day, but shit, The Body, The Blood, The Machine is an album you may just need to hear.

-Megan Giddings

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See Also: A band who you might assume would make an album of this apocalyptic quality.
See Also Also: More Thermals in Burn to Shine Vol. 3