Thorn (Chinese: 芒刺; pinyin: Mángcì) is the fourth studio album by seminal Chinese progressive metal band Tang Dynasty, released on November 8, 2013.
| Thorn | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 7, 2013 (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia) November 8, 2013 (China) | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal | |||
| Length | 54:24 | |||
| Label | Starsing Records | |||
| Producer | Ding Wu | |||
| Tang Dynasty chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Thorn | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Thorn" on YouTube "Zebra Crossing" on YouTube | ||||
Composition, themes, and recording
editThe album title comes from a Book of Han proverb "Thorn on one's back" (Chinese: 芒刺在背; pinyin: máng cì zài bèi), referring to a constant feeling of anxiety or unease. The band believed this idiom reflected both their own feelings during the album's creation, as well as the situation of every Chinese person alive in the modern world.[1] The album's unifying concepts were world peace and environmental preservation; many of the song titles contain references to animals or plants.[2][3]
Thorn took almost three years to record, with frontman Ding Wu overseeing every aspect of recording and production.[3][4] Ding explained the band's decision to produce the album independently, saying "today's recording industry as a whole is not thriving. Traditional recording practices are completely obsolete, and record labels do not accommodate the artist anymore[...]we have been considering going independent since completing Romantic Knight. By self-producing this album we have cut out the middleman entirely, which results in a product closer to our artistic vision." He revealed that each member had installed home studios from which they could record, share, and edit musical ideas.[3] Award-winning engineer Li Jun was hired to mix the album. The album was handed over to Sony Music Japan for mastering, and was released on patented Memory-Tech HQCD to ensure top quality.[4]
Thorn is a radical departure from the band's folk-influenced sound, featuring drop-tuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and the incorporation of electronic music and field recordings.[1][5][6] Two songs, "Ups and Downs" and "Elk Tears", which had been previously released on a 2010 EP entitled Ups and Downs sold exclusively at concerts, were rerecorded for the album.[7] The artwork was created by Song Xiaohui, who had previously designed the artwork for the band's second album, Epic.[8]
Release
editThorn was distributed by Guangzhou-based label Starsing Records. Music videos for the title track and "Zebra Crossing" were released online in September 2013.[4] The album was made available to preorder on October 21, 2013 (preorder editions included a poster and a miner's lamp).[4] The album was released in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia a day in advance.[9] On the night of the album's mainland release, Tang Dynasty played a concert - dubbed the "Sun/Thorn Concert" (Chinese: 太阳芒刺音乐会; pinyin: Tàiyáng Mángcì Yīnyuè Huì) - at the Exhibition Theater in Beijing, featuring punk band Brain Failure and Chinese Idol runner-up Yang Jima as guests.[4][10]
In early 2014 the group embarked on a short tour of Oceania, playing concerts in New Zealand and Fiji, marking the first time it had played outside of China in nearly twenty years.[11][12] Later that year, Tang Dynasty toured Africa and Asia.[11]
On September 15, 2015, the album was reissued on vinyl, with preorders made available five days before.[13]
Tracklisting
editAll tracks are written by Tang Dynasty
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "芒刺" (Thorn) | 5:08 |
| 2. | "斑马线" (Zebra Crossing) | 6:16 |
| 3. | "麋鹿的眼泪" (Elk Tears) | 4:41 |
| 4. | "睡莲" (Water Lilies) | 8:15 |
| 5. | "大象不抱怨" (Elephants Do Not Complain) | 5:08 |
| 6. | "梅花赐" (Plum Gift) | 4:05 |
| 7. | "紫叶" (Purple Leaf) | 5:09 |
| 8. | "沉浮" (Ups and Downs) | 5:57 |
| 9. | "响尾蛇" (Rattlesnake) | 2:05 |
| 10. | "异乡客·岚池" (The Visitor · Mist Pool) | 7:44 |
| Total length: | 54:24 | |
Personnel
editTang Dynasty
edit- Ding Wu - lead vocals; guitar; additional instruments
- Chen Lei - guitar
- Gu Zhong - bass
- Zhao Nian - drums
Production
edit- Ding Wu - production
- Li Jun - mixing
- Sony Music Japan - mastering
- Song Xiaohui - album artwork
References
edit- ^ a b "唐朝乐队五年磨出《芒刺》". 和讯新闻. 6 September 2013.
- ^ "唐朝乐队：中国摇滚乐没真正辉煌过". 新浪音乐. 7 October 2013.
- ^ a b c "头条音乐人：唐朝乐队 中国重金属开创者新专辑倡环保 11月8日唱响北展". Sohu Music. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "唐朝乐队新专辑《芒刺》正式开启预购". 艺术中国. 22 October 2013.
- ^ Kluth, Sebastian (16 May 2014). "唐朝 - 芒刺". The Metal Archives.
- ^ "芒刺". Rate Your Music. 25 February 2016.
- ^ "乐队专辑 - 沉浮". 唐朝乐队官方网站. 2010.
- ^ "丁武 宋晓辉 作品不是"活儿"". 周末画报. 2 November 2013.
- ^ Gu, Junshu (23 October 2013). "唐朝乐队 人们亟须面对精神上的雾霾". 北京文艺网.
- ^ "唐朝乐队音乐会女嘉宾确定 央吉玛加盟". 艺术中国. 10 October 2013.
- ^ a b "唐朝乐队春节后开启海外巡演之旅 首站选定新西兰". 艺术中国. 21 January 2014.
- ^ "唐朝乐队大事记". 唐朝乐队官方网站. 2009.
- ^ "唐朝乐队《芒刺》黑胶唱盘10日开启预售". 艺术中国. 10 September 2015.