Thumper

About

" The melodic powerhouse fuelling Dublin rock riots "

In an Irish rock scene that’s spent the last half a decade flourishing to an utterly unprecedented degree, Thumper, now made up of six friends, don’t quite fit, stylistically at least. Building from DIY roots – their early releases were bedroom recorded tapes made largely by now front man Oisin Furlong – they’ve built into a band that thrives live, blending clever melody with an instrumental barrage and a pulsating, vibrant stage presence.

Furlong has always been the soul of the band, and their early efforts – scrappy and immediate – in some ways reflect what the band were built upon: the idea, essentially, that anyone can make music and get themselves out there. Thumper are great on record, but it’s live, where they turn into a snarling monster of backroom sweatboxes, where they truly shine, and that early scrappy immediacy remains at the forefront. 

The outfit that Furlong has built around him reflects that hustle. They’re loud and energetic, a floor-vibrating set up that can hold a raucous melody, yet often spend time down the front amongst their audience, backed by a thumping dual-drum backline. Their topics are drawn from their world: angst and existentialism, self examination, and the hardships of modern living, but delivered with a true sense of fun.

2022 debut album ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ is a nod to their slow build career, in part an expression of the angst of imposter syndrome. They have no reason to feel such a thing, but it fits naturally when rolled into a nod to those bedroom days and their own garage-rock progression. At the album’s heart is the brilliant ‘Overbite’ trilogy, a 20-minute, three-track combo piece that’s presented in a solid unbroken mass. It’s a testing of the waters of experimentation, a glaring, melodic yet slightly caustic exploration of their talents, and another nod to the album title: Thumper are determined to put aside their more straightforward roots, and wear those ‘delusions’ proudly.

Of course, there’s plenty to be explored in Thumper’s back catalog, too: appearances at Eurosonic, Reeperbahn Festival, and European and UK tours all predate the debut record for a reason, and smash and grab single ‘Topher Grace’ and the 2020 live, limited-edition cassette are particularly worthy of exploration. ‘Delusions of Grandeur’, though, is an obvious new calling card and lifts this memorable, manic live band to a peak that towers over their modest view of themselves.

Photo : Ruth Medjber