Thornhill

History

Formed in 2015 in Vermont, a suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, Thornhill set out to demolish the boundaries of progressive metalcore. Thornhill’s roots trace back to Vermont Secondary College, where Jacob Charlton and Ethan McCann began writing music together and performing in school Battle of the Bands competitions.

Sam Anderson was also part of the band’s early school-era incarnation, before Thornhill developed into the lineup that would launch its first releases. The band took their name from Thornhill Avenue, the street where they wrote most of their debut EP. They wanted a name that wouldn’t box them into any specific genre.

On June 2, 2016, they dropped their debut single “XY,” marking their entrance into the Australian metal scene. Featuring Void of Vision’s Jack Bergin on guest vocals, the track foreshadowed the band’s technical prowess. That same year, on August 14, they self-released their first EP, 13. Packed with raw metalcore fury, the release quickly gained traction through support tours with Void of Vision and Hellions.

The Ascent Begins

2017 became a turning point for Thornhill. They won the Triple J Unearthed competition, earning an opening slot on UK band Architects’ 2017 Australian tour and regular airplay on Triple J radio. They shared stages with Australia’s metalcore heavyweights Alpha Wolf and Northlane. On August 15, they released the single “Limbo,” and in November, Triple J named them their weekly featured artist. During this period, founding guitarist Sam Anderson departed, with Better Half’s Matt van Duppen stepping in.

Early 2018 saw them opening for Parkway Drive’s Melbourne show and signing with Australian independent label UNFD. On February 16, they released their second EP, Butterfly, which climbed to number 52 on the ARIA charts. The progressive sound and atmospheric textures showcased the band’s musical maturation. Their first headlining show at Melbourne’s Cherry Bar on April 7 sold out.

The Dark Pool and International Recognition

In January 2019, they performed at Unify Festival in front of massive crowds. On October 25, they released their debut full-length The Dark Pool through UNFD, which debuted at number 20 on the ARIA album charts. Balancing metalcore’s destructive riffs with dreamlike atmospheres, the album drew widespread attention from rock and metal press. The Dark Pool was named Triple J’s Feature Album for the first week of December 2019, while Thornhill received a nomination for Best International Breakthrough Band at the 2020 Heavy Music Awards.

In January 2020, they embarked on their first European tour, supporting Wage War alongside Ded through the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. Their January 28 show at Trix in Antwerp became their final performance before the COVID-19 shutdown. Download Festival Australia, where they had been scheduled to appear in Melbourne and Sydney in March, was cancelled amid the emerging pandemic. Despite tour cancellations, they released an instrumental version of The Dark Pool on May 1 and a vocals-only version on May 29.

Heroine and Commercial Breakthrough

On October 28, 2021, they dropped the single “Casanova,” signaling a new direction. The experimental track blended metalcore with dance and pop elements. They followed with “Arkangel” on January 24, 2022, “Hollywood” on March 9, and “Raw” on May 23.

On June 3, they released their second full-length Heroine, which hit number 3 on the ARIA charts and number 1 on the ARIA Australian Artist Albums Chart. Translating classic Hollywood glamour into sonic form, Heroine borrowed from Baz Luhrmann’s cinematic style. Steeped in influences from Deftones, Radiohead, and Smashing Pumpkins, the album earned a nomination for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album at the ARIA Awards.

On September 16, 2022, Thornhill announced that guitarist Matt van Duppen would step away from performing and touring to focus on managing the band. Thornhill subsequently continued as a four-piece and appeared across all three dates of Good Things Festival in December, alongside Bring Me The Horizon.

BODIES and ARIA Victory

On January 24, 2023, Thornhill revealed that their rehearsal space had been broken into, with nearly A$100,000 worth of gear and belongings stolen. Fan support ultimately raised over A$60,000. They resumed activity with the release of “Viper Room” on October 10. They dropped “Obsession” on February 29, 2024, and “Nerv” on November 21. In June, they released the live album Live On Tour!

On January 30, 2025, they announced their third full-length BODIES, unveiling the single “Silver Swarm.” Released on April 4, BODIES debuted at number 4 on the ARIA charts. Breaking free from Heroine‘s meticulous concept, BODIES emphasized spontaneity and freedom, pursuing raw authenticity alongside their heaviest sound. On November 7, they released the remix album BODIES X, featuring reworked tracks by vianova, Northlane, Zetra, and The Plot In You’s Landon Tewers.

On November 19, at the 39th ARIA Awards held at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, Thornhill won Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album for BODIES, beating out The Amity Affliction, Civic, Press Club, and RedHook. The win marked the band’s first ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album.

Musical Style

Thornhill’s sound evolved with each of their three albums. From early technical progressive metalcore influenced by Northlane, through The Dark Pool‘s dreamlike alternative metal, to Heroine‘s fusion of Deftones’ shoegaze textures and Radiohead’s experimentalism within a metal framework, each album staked out new territory. BODIES combined 90s grunge, Nine Inch Nails-style industrial textures, and nu-metal’s primal energy.

Jacob Charlton’s vocals developed from metalcore screaming into a singular style that layers Jeff Buckley’s delicate falsetto and Justin Timberlake-esque R&B grooves over metal riffs. Ethan McCann’s guitar work weaves together the melodic sensibilities of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins with Metallica’s crushing riffs.

Visually, Thornhill draw from Baz Luhrmann’s cinematic style. Their music videos combine cinematic imagery and Hollywood glamour with heavy music, with Charlton handling much of the writing and direction. Instead of the standard metal band uniform of black t-shirts, they rock tailored suits and high-fashion outfits on stage.

Thornhill became a four-piece in 2022 with Jacob Charlton (vocals), Ethan McCann (guitar), Ben Maida (drums), and Nick Sjogren (bass). Starting from a high school battle of the bands competition in 2015, Thornhill built a run of ARIA-charting albums and a 2025 ARIA Award for BODIES. They traversed everything from progressive metalcore to nu-metal.