I became aware of the wonderful Sergeant Thunderhoof when I reviewed their superb last LP This Sceptred Veil back in 2022. That album was in my top ten of that year and has been on heavy rotation at Kendrick towers ever since. I love the band so much that I bought all their material up to that point.
To say I’ve been looking forward to the follow up to TSV is very much an understatement. The band released a single: ‘Blood Moon’ recently and it’s a superb taster of what’s to come on their latest long player: The Ghost of Badon Hill. This time around, we get a concept album based on their native Somerset history and mythology. Based on a real-life battle between the Britons and the Anglo Saxons at Badon Hill in Bath, the album delves deep into some fascinating folklore.
The band really have excelled themselves here. The songs are shorter and have more impact while giving us the trademark Sergeant Thunderhoof sound. Dan Flitcroft’s vocal performance is his best so far. Wonderfully atmospheric and powerful when needed. We get plenty of huge riffs courtesy of Mark Sayer and Josh Gallop. If you love Sabbath, Cathedral and Paradise Lost, I guarantee you’ll love Sergeant Thunderhoof.
The production from Gallop is perfection. The album is only six tracks long to ensure the vinyl release is a single LP, but this works so well in the execution of the songs as a concept album. Opening track Badon sets the album up perfectly, wilting acoustic guitars and gentle vocals build up to some beautiful riffing and the vocals simply soar. The rest of the album follows on in spectacular fashion, it really is superb. I honestly can’t recommend this band enough. Just go and find out for yourselves what you’ve been missing. You can all thank me later!
The Ghost of Badon Hill is released on Nov 15th, 2024, and is available to pre order now on CD, limited edition vinyl, and on all major streaming platforms.
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Author: Kenny Kendrick
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