Video Premiere: Sergeant Thunderhoof ‘Absolute Blue’ – From ‘This Sceptred Veil’ That’s Out Now
Back in June of this year Sergeant Thunderhoof released This Sceptred Veil, an album which well and truly put the UK’s prog and slightly stoner rockers well and truly on the map. And today, nearly six months after its official release on Pale Wizard Records, The Shaman is able to bring you the stunning video for Absolute Blue that was filmed by Kieran Gallop in the picturesque surroundings of St Mary’s Church in Bitton.
About Absolute Blue, vocalist Dan Flitcroft says, ‘This is an interesting song for me, because it’s based around a riff that Mark has had knocking around for years. He’d often mess around with it during rehearsals and it’s the kind of thing where we kept saying ‘We should do something with that some day’. When it came to start recording the pre-production demos for This Sceptred Veil, I was eager to get as many ideas down as possible whilst we were in the studio. Mark quickly recorded the riff and a few more ideas and we left it like that. I spent a bunch of time experimenting with the structure of the song and trying to think of some kind of lyrical motif to go on top of it.’
He continues, ‘What came out is probably my most personal lyrics to date. Without spelling it all out, it’s fair to say the words are a stream of consciousness about my own childhood memories, woven into the over-arching narrative of the album which has many biblical and historical themes.’
Then concludes adding, ‘I was really impressed with how Jim managed to infuse the song with his distinctive bass sound whilst complimenting what Mark is doing. The drums are some of Darren’s best too in my opinion, including one of my favourite drum fills ever. In many ways, this song seemed to write itself, so it was a surprise to all of us to hear the final result. It’s not the usual ‘Hoof song, that’s for sure, but I think it still sounds like us.’
And in his review for This Sceptred Veil, about the track Mark states, ‘the haunting atmosphere is rich with a blues heavy and soulful influence’, then adds, ‘Flitcroft delivers a smoky, introspective vocal before raising the bar with a lush chorus that is tinged with nostalgia, sorrow, and joy simultaneously’
Now click play below to watch and listen to the Hoofs Absolute Blue…
More On Sergeant Thunderhoof & ‘This Sceptred Veil’
The Hoof formed in the latter stages of 2013 by sheer accident. With no intentions of starting a new musical project, all the members had worked with each other in previous bands over the years and were at a point in their lives where they just wanted to get together for a jam and not take anything too seriously. What transpired was a debut LP (Zigurat) which took everyone, including the band by surprise. They had hit upon a sound which incorporated their love of dark, brooding, soulful grooves, super rich melodies and thick, fuzzy low end rhythm sections.
Rapidly the band and their output picked up steam, with offers to perform with the likes of Elder, Mos Generator, Siguriya, Karma to Burn, Kamchatka, Desert Storm, King Buffalo, Avon, Skraeckoedlan, Gonga and many more artists that they would consider their peers. With a loyal and growing listener base, Sergeant Thunderhoof have amassed a rich and varied back catalogue including 3 studio albums, a live full length, an epic split LP with Howling Giant, numerous compilation appearances for the likes of Ripple Music and Magnetic Eye Records and even a surprise tribute to Kate Bush. With the momentum firmly on their side, the band entered 2020 with a number of tours and releases planned, including the follow up to their 2018 LP Terra Solus.
When the world turned upside down in March 2020, all touring, writing and recording plans were thrown out of the window and the band were collectively forced to rethink their entire working relationship. At the tail end of 2020, the band began collecting their ideas, riffs and rough recordings to begin work on the next album. With the possibility of jamming the songs out together in a room not an option, they were forced to conduct the majority of the writing process remotely.
This Sceptred Veil was recorded in demo form before the band were able to once again meet up in person and lay it down properly in the studio. Under the expert guidance of Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw), what transpired was an epic 68 minutes of huge riffs, introspective atmospherics and melancholic yet uplifting melodies. Drawing on the ancient myths and legends of the South West of England, this new LP, that was mastered by Tony Reed, sees the band explore darker and denser territory than their previous albums.
This Sceptred Veil Tracklist:
01. You’ve Stolen The Words
02. Devil’s Daughter
03. Absolute Blue
04. Foreigner
05. Woman Call
06. King Beyond the Gates
07. Show Don’t Tell
08. Avon & Avalon, Pt. 1
09. Avon & Avalon, Pt. 2
Sergeant Thunderhoof is:
Mark Sayer – Guitar
Jim Camp – Bass
Dan Flitcroft – Vocals
Darren Ashman – Drums
This Sceptred Veil, the current album by Sergeant Thunderhoof is out now through Pale Wizard Records and is available on the labels Bandcamp.
Label: Pale Wizard Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
