SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THORNHILL w/ SPECIAL GUESTS AVOID, OCEAN GROVE & BANKS ARCADE @ AMSTERDAM BAR AND HALL, SAINT PAUL (MN)

THORNHILL w/ SPECIAL GUESTS AVOID, OCEAN GROVE & BANKS ARCADE

@ AMSTERDAM BAR AND HALL, SAINT PAUL (MN)

MAY 6, 2025

In support of their latest album, Bodies, Australian metalcore quartet Thornhill have embarked on their first headlining American tour and brought other Aussie acts Ocean Grove and Banks Arcade along for the ride. As if that lineup of heavy music wasn’t enough, Seattle, WA based progressive metalcore band Avoid were added to the Bodies Tour.

The self-proclaimed “heavy metal boy band”, Banks Arcade took to the stage first. They have this amazing ability to pull elements of multiple genres into their music and make it their own unique sound. They can be chaotic but then soothing and have a reputation for being very versatile in their sound.

They opened with “Worship The Internet,” the first song off their Death 2 album that was released last year. Singer Joshua O’Donnell wasted no time crossing back and forth on the stage, microphone grasped tightly in hand while guitarist Jason Meadows slowly moved front to back with an occasional aggressive spin.

They changed paces with “Drown”, a slow, dark tune that displayed O’Donnell’s vocal versatility.

To change the vibe again, they played their latest single “Vipers” which carries a nu-metal vibe.

Everything from rap style lyrics, heavy guitar riffs, and electronics, to slower, more melodic vocal driven songs, the entire set oozed with intensity. Their set was an excellent showcase of what they offer musically.

Nu metal outfit Ocean Grove took the intensity of Banks Arcade and brought it up, and I mean way up, as soon as the first few notes of their song “FLY AWAY” began. Everyone in the room was moving and eager to let loose. Singer Dale Tanner could barely be contained by the stage as he spun and jumped throughout the entire performance, which fueled the crowd’s energy even more.

For those who were seeing them for the first time, it didn’t matter if they even knew the songs.  It didn’t matter because the upbeat, heavy, catchiness of the songs, mixed with the all the happy, jumping, clapping, moshing people created such a fun “party” atmosphere. Everyone was smiling and having a good time, both on stage and in the crowd, feeding off each other’s energy. It was only a matter of time before a mosh pit broke out during their song “MY DISASTER.”

PURCHASE BODIES VIA BANDCAMP

Then was the onslaught of body surfers and stage divers, followed by a wall of death. The rowdiness of the crowd was escalating, not in a dangerous manner, but in a “we’re all here for a good time” manner.  I was convinced that that was going to be the highlight of the night.

“But wait, there’s more,” is what Avoid seemed to say when they started their set. The crowd was still hyped up from Ocean Grove and Banks Arcade, so Avoid harnessed that energy to keep the crowd engaged and moving. Singer Benny Scholl’s. NASCAR Jeff Gordon windbreaker didn’t stay on him long before he threw it in the back corner of the stage. He then commanded the audience to “bang your fucking heads!” I couldn’t have predicted a Blur “Song 2” cover, but we got one which got the crowd really singing and jumping. I could feel the floor shifting beneath my feet!

The band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, which kept the atmosphere lighthearted and their catchy, heavy songs kept the momentum going throughout the night. The body surfers were at it again, requiring extra help from the tour crew to safely get back to the floor.  Whatever Scholl asked of the crowd, they were eager to oblige. He’d yell “circle pit!” And the crowd would go into a frenzy.  Songs included “Cowabunga”, “Flashbang”, and their new song “If It Hurts”.   As aggressive and rowdy as the crowd was, everyone was really enjoying themselves.

It was obvious that many people were there to see headliners Thornhill though based on the number of fans wearing their t-shirts. As soon as the lights dimmed for Thornhill to take the stage, the crowd burst into excited cheering.

They opened with “DIESEL”, the first single off the album. It didn’t take long for singer Jacob Charlton to command a wall of death, and I can’t help but speculate that it had to have been the venue’s record for number of wall of deaths, circle pits, and body surfers, and stage divers in one night. There were a lot of smiling glances exchanged among the band members as they watched it all unfold. The tour crew was definitely kept on their toes a majority of the night.

As the stage bathed in rotating blue and red lighting, the band navigated their performance flawlessly, Charlton hitting the notes with ease. Songs included “Casanova”, “Silver Swarm”; and fan favourite “Where We Go When We Die”. Many people could be heard singing along throughout their performance word for word.

It was evident that a Minnesota show was long overdue based on the response and intensity of the crowd. The tour may be named Bodies for Thornhill’s latest album, but it was bodies that brought the energy that night, bodies that moshed, bodies that sang, bodies that smiled, and bodies that lived in the moment.

(Photography by Trista Whitman)

Thornhill Photos

Avoid Photos

Ocean Grove Photos

Banks Arcade Photos

Thornhill Links

Avoid Links

Ocean Grove Links

Banks Arcade Links