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Thulium

69 EP

Written by: PP on 09/12/2010 02:16:02

Here's a London, UK four-piece that isn't really from London at all, considering all four members own passports from different countries. The name is Thulium, they released a three-track EP called "69" earlier this year, a grabbing piece of darkened alternative rock that recalls HIM's self-proclaimed "Love Metal" in every possible way and then some. I'll keep this short though cause the three songs aren't all that long either, so no point in keeping you for a lengthy review.

Basically, Thulium play extremely catchy, melancholic alternative rock that sounds identical to bands like The 69 Eyes and HIM, whom I just mentioned. It's not as big of a problem as it should be because all three songs here are instantly catchy. In many ways, "69 EP" feels like a sampler EP of the band's best repertoire, the sort of disc you'd want to give to a major label with the backthought being "see how catchy and radio-friendly our songs are? You could market them right now and make a big buck!". Such a description often carries a certain stigma, but in this case it's not there. Albeit slightly predictable and conventionally chorus-oriented, the songs are sung with passion, and the choruses are actually really good and delivered with real emotion. Much better than The 69 Eyes anyway. "Running" and "Craving" are both power singles with good potential, but I would've probably left out the piano-based ballad "90 Days Of Sorrow", because it sounds exactly like HIM with no attempt to disguise it as anything else. That said, it's not a bad track either. It'll be interesting to see if these guys have strong enough material for a full length's worth of songs as good as these, because then I see them making an impact.

Download: Running
For the fans of: HIM, The 69 Eyes
Listen: Myspace

Release date 07.06.2010
AKAmusic / Universal