SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THUNDER QUEENS – DEEP BELOW

THUNDER QUEENS
DEEP BELOW
VICTORY POOL

In 2024, London, Ontario’s Thunder Queens released their debut album, Strike One. Since then, the teenage power trio has gone on to share the stage with the likes of Billy Talent, The Beaches, and The Dirty Nil, among others. The band has now returned with their follow-up sophomore album, Deep Below.

Deep Below opens with the driving pace of “Slipped Away.” From the melodic solo and punishing half-time feel at the beginning, the song opens up with an expansive verse, accented by lush vocals and harmonies, providing an immediate contrast to the song’s introduction. There is a youthful energy to “Slipped Away” that is equal parts contagious and relentless. This is further heard on the following track, “Birds On A Wire,” a track that feels a touch grungier through an array of fuzzy, distorted power chords.

Musically, Thunder Queens find inspiration from a wide range of rock. With a hint of 70’s glam, Deep Below feels akin to Paramore and The Strokes alike, if both bands where more a bit more in tune with classic rock and if the latter was significantly more hopeful in their tone and energy. Furthermore, the band, on numerous occasions, strays from conventional songwriting as they pull the listener into densely arranged songs that wind and weave through unexpected passages. “Walk With Me” is a great example of this with its ripping bridge section, while the outro of the title track seemingly comes out of nowhere as the song devolves into an eruption of riffs and breakdowns. Additional highlights include the droning “One To Follow,” the off-beat punk of “Teenage Years,” and the crunchy rocker “Wait.”

Across 11 tracks, Thunder Queens continue to hone their sound and voice as songwriters while demonstrating their place as one of rock’s fastest growing bands. In this sense, Deep Below is a strong sophomore effort that should continue to stoke the intrigue and excitement that has followed the band over the last few years. What only makes this more impressive is the fact that all three members of the band are still in high school; in between classes, exams, and the drama of being a teenager, they managed to write and record their second full length album, and a kick ass one at that. With this in mind, Deep Below is a blast of unadulterated youthful energy and optimism.

Artist Links