ALBUM REVIEW: thrown – Excessive Guilt

‘…if you’re looking to throw something cathartic on when you’re feeling thoroughly pissed off, then there is not a single album released this year that will do the job better…’

Masters of the Spotify algorithm, thrown are finally here to deliver their debut full-length LP. The Swedish five-piece have found quite the cult following over recent years, between their no nonsense EP ‘EXTENDED PAIN‘, and their reputation for killer live shows, the band have been positioned as THE ones to watch in the heavy scene.

Now signed with Arising Empire, the band have spent 2024 releasing a steady stream of singles, culminating in the release of their debut record, ‘EXCESSIVE GUILT‘. At only eleven tracks long and 21 minutes in run-time, there is already plenty of discourse about whether this album even merits being called an LP. It is easy to be concerned that the record would be lacking in content and feel incomplete, and whilst this album is far from the deepest you’ll hear all year, that run-time feels just right once you have experienced it.

‘EXCESSIVE GUILT‘ is 21 minutes of pure, dumb, ignorant fun. If you’re looking for nu-metalcore that is thought-provoking or genre-challenging, then this absolutely is not the record for you. But if you’re looking to throw something cathartic on when you’re feeling thoroughly pissed off, then there is not a single album released this year that will do the job better; not everything has to be revolutionary, after all.

There isn’t too much variation between the tracks here; much of it does merge together as one 21 minute long breakdown. Hip-hop and nu-metal influences on tracks such as ‘on the verge‘, ‘so done‘, and ‘guilt‘ are executed brilliantly, lending a superbly swaggering energy to the tracks with record scratches and groove-laden flows. Moments of industrial metal rear their head towards the back end of the album, with the climax of ‘vent‘ standing out with its raspy, whispered vocal passages. For the most part however, you’re just getting two minutes (or less) of blistering, pummelling nu-metalcore breakdowns, and whilst that can hardly be called creative, it is blood-pumping fun to behold.

A lot of what makes the album succeed is the perfect amount of polish that the band have applied to their sound. Not so much as to take away the edges, but just enough as to make each track sound immense in scale, with production that enables every scream of the guitar and every dodgeball snare strike to smack you like you’re watching them perform live.

However, there really isn’t much else to say about this record. Between the brief runtime and ‘one song album’ nature, ‘EXCESSIVE GUILT‘ is a brilliantly fun listen, but not one that packs much depth, nor brings any musical highlights that you’re going to be thinking about long after the album is over. If you’re working out at the gym, or your takeaway arrived cold, or you opened a tin of biscuits to find sewing supplies, then this is the album to suit the mood perfectly. If you’re looking for an album that actually challenges you to engage with it, however, then this is absolutely not worth your time.

thrown, however, have never intended to be anything other than the band you reach to when your anger needs a soundtrack. ‘EXCESSIVE GUILT‘ marks the perfect culmination of the band’s efforts so far, demonstrating perfectly their modus operandi, and knowing precisely when they’ve done enough to avoid completely burning out their sound. This record is nothing revolutionary, but not every record has to be, and I for one welcome our pissed-off Swedish overlords.

They’ll appear after every heavy song on Spotify anyway.

RATING: 73/100 – Good

For Fans Of: Graphic Nature, Alpha Wolf, Knocked Loose, Filth

Physical copies of the album are available to purchase here.

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify // Twitter