Thundermother – Dirty & Divine

Thundermother
Dirty & Divine
Label: AFM Records
Out: February 7^th, 2025
Playing time: 33:52

The Swedish all-girl Metal band Thundermother is coming back to life for the second time, like the Phoenix from the ashes. The new singer is now Linnéa Vikström (Kamelot, Therion, among others). And with Majsan Lindberg on bass, an old bandmate is back. Band leader Filippa Nässil is once again proving her staying power. She is now also a ‘mother of thunder’ of a completely different kind. She has been a mum since last year. So, a lot has happened at the Thundermother house. The sixth album ‘Dirty & Divine’ will be released in February and the band will go on a major European tour. I thought the Mark II line-up’s previous album ‘Black And Gold’ was outstanding. The current line-up has to be measured against it.

The opener ‘So Close’ is a mid-tempo rocker. You can hear a powerful sound. But is the song suitable as a warm-up? ‘Can’t Put Out The Fire’ hardly leaves the mid-tempo range either. Linnéa Vikström’s vocals are nowhere near as powerful as those of Guernica Mancini. And in my opinion, it is precisely this difference that is decisive for the new sound of Thundermother. ‘Speaking Of The Devil’ offers an increase in tempo. And the vocal difference is even more obvious. But it’s the first song that really takes off. Filippa Nässil’s guitar solo is particularly impressive here. ‘Feeling Alright’ is a little quieter again. It comes very close to being a ballad. Here, too, the guitar solo is the crowning glory. In my opinion, ‘Take The Power’ would have been the better opening song. It really gets going here. We also hear the best vocal performance here. Finest Rock’n’Roll. ‘I Left My Licence In The Future’ starts with a powerful bass line into which the rhythmic guitar then kicks in. In my opinion, this is the best track on the album. ‘Dead Or Alive’ is again in the mid-tempo range. ‘Can You Feel It’ is very similar to “Are You Ready” from the AC/DC album “The Razor’s Edge”. And accordingly, it’s also a bit slowed down. But again with a great guitar solo. ‘Bright Eyes’ is a rhythmic blues rocker. The catchy refrain captivates with polyphonic vocals. The fast-paced closing song ‘American Adrenaline’ really gets the adrenaline pumping. One last time we hear some fine Rock’n’Roll.

I wondered how band leader Filippa Nässil had handled the drastic changes in her band. She has succeeded very well in tailoring the compositions to the abilities of her new band members, especially the singer. Of course, Guernica Mancini’s voice will be sadly missed, but Linnéa does her job very well. And Filippa Nässil proves once again that she is one of the best guitarists the world has to offer. ‘Dirty & Divine’ doesn’t quite reach the level of its predecessor. Nevertheless, it is a very good album. There is not a single failure among the songs.

Thundermother – Speaking of the Devil: https://youtu.be/G9udNTyn_QI?si=6kgxGTUBaMWlcu-N

Lineup:

Filippa Nässil – Guitar
Linnéa Vikström – Vocals
Joan Massing – Drums
Majsan Lindberg -Bass

Track list:

• So Close
• Can’t Put Out The Fire
• Speaking of the Devil
• Feeling Alright
• Take The Power
• I Left My License in the Future
• Dead Or Alive
• Can You Feel It
• Bright Eyes
• American Adrenaline