Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado: House of Sticks Review

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, the multi-award-winning blues rockers from Denmark, return with their brand new release House of Sticks, adding the ninth studio album to their already impressive discography built across over two decades. Deeply rooted in blues, the band’s sound fuses soul, rock, funk, and so much more. Released via Provogue / Mascot Label Group, the new album represents a fresh take on those genres, incorporating it all – from high-voltage rock numbers, through bouncy dancefloor bangers to slow ballads, and everything in between.

The title track that kicks the album off is a slow-burner that begins with minimal instrumentation. An earworm guitar riff is mimicked by soulful vocals in unison. The heavy, stomp-style beat then adds the pulse and serves as a beating heart of this beast. Layer by layer, the instruments join in, culminating with the brass section adding a dramatic effect. The song certainly possesses cinematic qualities – producers of Lucifer take note if there ever were plans for a season 7. A punchy, shuffle-infused “Already Gone” takes over, bringing the heat with heavily distorted guitars before giving way to a heartfelt retro soul ballad titled “Light of Your Love”. Bold synth rhythm, accompanied by clever clave parts and hand claps, provides a solid foundation upon which “Long Time Ago” is built. A tune that is sure to move you hip to shoulder.

Risager and the gang are definitely no strangers to experimentation and “Said I Was Hurt” is indeed a very unconventional song. It’s based on a sampled beat, features an atmospheric organ, wonderful strings parts and even some gospel-style backing vocals. Who would have thought all this can work so well together? The second half of the record starts out with a fat bass line. The bright and groovy “Inner Light” is backed by mean brass parts in the style of The Blues Brothers. If listening on Spotify, do not miss the canvas to this song as it features a few old photos, seemingly from the childhood of the main man Thorbjørn himself. “We’ll Get By” retains the optimistic vibe, although in a much calmer tempo – one to strum casually on an acoustic guitar when feeling good and mellow. This is contrasted by a way gloomier “Out of the Rain”. Upbeat “Climbed a Mountain” follows, paving the way for the album finale: a quirky folky tune called “Fine Summer Night” enriched by some tasty slide guitar licks.

The band’s playing is immaculate throughout all ten tracks, all of which have been arranged and produced to the highest of standards. The highlight of this album though is Thorbjørn’s vocals. His singing has been described as Ray Charles, Van Morrison, and Billy Gibbons meeting in the middle. However, it doesn’t take much effort to recognise John Lee Hooker’s influences as well. It appears as if the leader of this Danish octet has taken only the best out of those greats, and added the essence of his soul to it. His voice sounds like that of a man partial to a bourbon-and-cigar, who’s been through hell and back and experienced it all. House of Sticks is far from your traditional blues rock record. It breaks and bends genre boundaries, delivers raw emotion, and surely packs a punch. A truly wonderful piece of work.

The Review: 8.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– House of Sticks
– Already Gone
– Inner Light

The Big Hit

– House of Sticks