Horseburner's New Album, The Thief, Is A Timeless Ode To Exploration

Horseburner have been making waves in local stoner-doom scenes around the eastern seaboard for more than a decade, always flying just under the radar of the larger scope of metal but never failing to impress with their patiently constructed output. Blame it on Appalachian tenacity or the shoulder chip accompanying their upbringing in an industrial town on the edge of West Virginia, but they’ve never allowed any setbacks or a preoccupation with larger success seep into their music and spoil its design.

“Making this record was legitimately one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done,” explains drummer and co-vocalist Adam Nohe. The group cycled through a rotating cast of bassists in recent years, culminating with the departure of their dear friend and founding guitarist Zach Kaufman after recording their latest LP, The Thief. “With all the changes we’ve gone through and everything it’s taken to get to here, I don’t think anyone would have blamed us for calling it quits.”

With The Thief, the Parkersburg shredders have expanded on their previous influences, leaning into a sound fully their own. Comparisons to Clutch, Baroness, and Red Fang have chased them before, but tracks like the titular opener contain a patient build that hints at the underlying maturity of a band on the other side of uncertainty. This slow-rising tide sets the tone for a bittersweet record, shifting quickly into pummeling immediacy with heavier hitters like A Joyless King and Hand Of Gold Man Of Stone.

Strewn between these bashers are experimental leaps that toy with classical acoustic-electric guitar interplay. Seas Between plays out like a timeless ode to exploration -- inner and outer -- shedding light on the lengthy strides the band took on in the face of near-dissolution. The potent dynamism at play shows off the group’s greatest strengths.

Confirming this communal tenacity, Adam concludes, “There was no way we were going to let this record die. And now that it’s here, we have a new solid lineup with a unified vision, we have a whole new sense of purpose. We’re ready to see what this band can do.”

Stream The Thief in full below:

See Horseburner on tour this fall:

September

05 - Huntington, WV - V Club

06 - Johnson City, TN - Hideaway

07 - Charlotte, NC - Skylark

08 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits

09 - Miami, FL - Las Rosas

10 - Tampa, FL - TBA

11 - Savannah, GA – The Wormhole

12 - Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge

13 - Knoxville, TN - TBA

14 - Asheville,NC - Static Age Records

15 - Lexington, KY - Green Lantern

16 - Louisville, KY - Highland Tap Room

27 - Toronto, ON - Bovine Sex Club

28 - Jermyn, PA - Mountain Sky - Darkenheavy Fest

October

04 - Akron, OH - Annabelle’s

05 - Pittsburgh, PA - Gooski’s

06 - Buffalo, NY - Electric Avenue

07 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Desperate Annie’s

08 - Winooski, VT - Monkey House With Godmaker:

09 - New London, CT - 33 Golden Street

10 - Worcester, MA - Ralph’s

11 - Brooklyn, NY - The Well

12 - Wilmington, DE - Oddity Bar

13 - Baltimore, MD - The Depot

The Thief is available for preorder now.