Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)

Thornhill w/ANNALYNN and Conductor at Mr. Fox Live House, Bangkok, Thailand 3/4/26

What is it about Thornhill?  With the resurgence of bands like Deftones, exposing new listeners to a sound of nu-metal that feels as every bit as sexy and sad as it does heavy, along with bands like Sleep Token capturing everybody’s attention and of course, that soft spot for metalcore that many alternative music lovers who were teens in the 90s and beyond have formed (not that they always admit it), the Melbourne lads sit somewhere in the middle of it all. Blazing a path of their own, alt-rock and sultry style of metalcore music, Thornhill have positioned themselves in an organic way to take advantage of the tastes of more honest and open heavy music fans.

Every time I manage to catch them, I’m inundated with messages from friends, mainly in SE Asia, about how much they love the band. Watching them evolve over the years and managing to catch them at a few shows, I’ve almost felt guilty. But no longer. As their Asia run has come to an end, it’s time to chat about our experience seeing them away from the home country. 

Hitting Bangkok for the very first time last week, I was almost more excited for those I knew who had been waiting to finally be able to experience the band live, in the flesh. It wasn’t your usual metalcore crowd making their way into Mr. Fox Livehouse. Trendier, more of an age range, but the space was full. All to catch Australia’s fastest rising alternative metalcore act.

Before we jump into Thornhill, though, we need to show love to the local openers.

Heating up the room first was the much-loved Conductor. It was my first time witnessing them, and as much as I love the bands we’ve covered before on the Thai scene, it is always a pleasure to come across an act for the first time. A hard-hitting post-hardcore sensation, they were one of those bands that made you leave the spot at the back and move slowly towards the front to catch a better look. Instrumentally on point, they had a tightness about them that gave away their experience of playing together. Their frontman was bursting with energy and emotion. He had a certain mid 2000s Bert McCracken vibe to his stage presence, but a range and skill that topped the emo legend. Dripping with authenticity, Conductor have now become a must-watch band for me. They dabbled between emoesque tunes, heavy ballads and metalcore breakdowns- reminiscent of Thornhill’s earlier work, so they were definitely the perfect choice as an opener.

Next up were Thai metalcore pioneers ANNALYNN, who had their work cut out for them from the start. Playing in front of an audience that was a little less familiar, the scene’s mainstays didn’t take their foot off the gas at any second. Not tempted to switch up into the softer side, they went headfirst into their furious and heavy setlist, emitting a crushing wave of sound to encourage the pit to open up. The diehards led the way, and before long, the band had won over the reluctant to move crowd. Making reference to their time in Australia back in 2023, hitting us with ‘Closer To The Edge’, which was the song they opened each show with on the run, you could tell the band was making a statement. With no time to take a breath, and frontman Pob taking it upon himself to command the pit from the floor in ‘Deciever/Believer’, they not only won over some new listeners that night but also reminded those who had seen them before why they are Thailand’s most decorated metalcore band.

I made the mistake of going to get a beer between ANNALYNN and Thornhill, because when I went to go back to the stage area, there was almost no way of getting back through. The punters had descended, and if the show was not sold out, it sure had to be close to capacity. With barely any room to move, the anticipation for the headlining act to take the stage was palpable. The fans in the front had their signs at the ready, and as the band took the stage, the room erupted. Opening with ‘DIESEL’, they flowed seamlessly from song to song without wasting any time. 

A steady groove hypnotised the room. When the heavy moments came in, the pit got to work quickly. The rest in attendance swayed and moved without hesitation. Giving us ‘Revolver’ and then into ‘Mercia’, there wasn’t much conversation between songs…but that didn’t matter. Much like the scenes back in Adelaide that I managed to catch a little while ago now, once they dipped back into some foundational masterpieces like ‘Lily & The Moon’, the fans were well and truly under Thornhill’s spell.

The set flew by quickly, so by the time they reached the business end of the set, I was caught off guard. ‘Silver Swarm’, of course, had the room dancing, along with ‘TONGUES’. A strong finish with ‘Casanova’ and ‘Obsession’ set up the final song of the night, ‘nerv’, wonderfully. No encore was needed, even though it was oh so desired. A flawless set that all but solidified that Thornhill would be welcome back with open arms.

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After seeing them in Australia over the years and now for the first time in Thailand, there is truly no doubt about the future that this band has ahead of them. Winning fans across the world, taking a risk with their sound and perfecting a live show that is uniquely theirs, Thornhill are carving a path that is setting them up for success.

It’s amazing to see.

Thank you to Loudly Prefer for giving both NOISE ’N’ VISUALS and the Thai fans the chance to get in before they truly blow up. 

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