Night Thorn - 2013 - Pilgrimage

(58:20; Night Thorn)

One would think that after decades of reviewing albums I would be better organised, but no, and I honestly have no idea why I am currently listening to the only album released by Canadian band Night Thorn in 2013. Apparently, they were a musical collaboration between Daniel Enns (guitars, organs, synths, bass, percussion, vocals) and Daniel Puurveen (drums, percussion, electric guitar, vocals) with various others. This album was recorded in a garage in Alberta and is a concept regarding the journey a young man takes to re-discover his childhood and he writes in a journal detailing what he finds. The songs are all different journal entries, and although they are individual songs they are set so they flow directly into another. 

In many ways this reminds me of the demo tapes I often used to receive in the 90’s from bands who were far from the finished article but there was some promise which may have delivered something fascinating if they kept at it. There are some interesting moments here and there, with a Floydian outlook on life and long keyboard chords, but for the most part this is trudge through  a morass which does not deliver the outcome one would like given all the effort. The vocals are generally poor and too low in the mix, and it moves between ambient and progressive, with the latter being the primary style, and overall it comes across as something which would have been forgotten long ago if it were not for the internet.  

Kev Rowland, July 2026

Links:
https://nightthorn.bandcamp.com/