Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. In the 1980s, American metal was unstoppable. Whether you preferred the commercialized sheen of the major label acts, the raging intensity of thrash, the bloodstained valor of power metal, or all of the above, almost every release was the cream of the crop. And for every band who achieved superstardom, cementing their name in heavy metal history and earning a legion of fans across the globe, there was another band who never got their proper due. One such band was Damien Thorne. Today, we go back in time to 1986 and revisit the debut album from this cult act, The Sign of the Jackal.
During the first half of the ’80s, Chicago metal was firing on all cylinders. Although the scene was still in its infancy, bands were popping up left and right, making their mark with groundbreaking demos and unforgettable shows. Among these bands were Trouble, Slauter Xstroyes, War Cry, Enforcer, Witchslayer, and Zoetrope, just to name a few. Their tapes were traded with fellow underground headbangers, and quickly earned Chicago a reputation as one of the heaviest cities in the world. Another band who happened to fall into these ranks was Damien Thorne.
Formed in 1983 by classically trained guitarist Ken Mandat, and named after the protagonist of The Omen series, Damien Thorne quickly recorded two demos. One was entitled Killing Force (1983). The other was The Sign of the Jackal (1984). Over the course of a couple years, these demos quickly made the rounds and caught the attention of Roadrunner Records. Before they knew it, Damien Thorne were in the studio recording their debut full length, also entitled The Sign of the Jackal. Joining them behind the board and mic (for background vocals) was none other than Virgin Steele frontman/mastermind, David DeFeis.
The Sign of the Jackal is a rather hard album to pin down stylistically. It’s fast, but not violent enough to be labeled thrash. It’s victorious, but too grim to be labeled power metal. With their occult themed lyrics, raw production, nightmarish atmosphere, and textbook classic metal tropes, Damien Thorne can best be described as a dark traditional metal band in the vein of Mercyful Fate and Satan’s Host. I wouldn’t go so far to label any of the songs on here “blackened”, but I could see somebody like Fenriz digging this album in all its obscure glory.
Sign opens up with its colossally epic title track. Energetic and powerful in composition and delivery, “The Sign of the Jackal” establishes Damien Thorne’s ethos. The riffs are menacing and unleashed with the same tenacity as 70s Priest or the aforementioned Mercyful Fate. The production isn’t lo-fi, but far from polished too, resulting in a very unique sound. And then there’s singer/screamer Justin Fate, who can hit those King Diamond highs, while simultaneously boasting range and power reminiscent of Eric Adams or Geoff Tate.
“Fear of the Dark” is the first song on the album that showcases Damien Thorne’s need for speed. As I mentioned earlier, the band doesn’t reach the violent apex of what bands like Slayer, Kreator, and Dark Angel were doing in ’86. Their high speed assault is much closer to the salad days of Exciter, Metal Church, and even Slayer circa Show No Mercy. This rager is fast and ferocious, yet without sacrificing those traditional metal undertones in the riffing, arrangement, and vocals.
On “The Ritual”, the band channels their inner Mercyful Fate, laying down a barrage of riffs akin to one of the suites on Melissa. It’s not technical enough to be labeled prog, but there are enough twists and turns that keep it interesting and exciting, and the overall mood is downright grim. Speaking of “grim” things, side A closes with “Grim Reaper”, which is as bombastic and unique as anything Iron Maiden or Satan put out at the time. Again, the guitars take us for a wild ride and Fate delivers his vocals with wicked urgency.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by “Hell’s Reign”. Maybe it’s just the production on this one, but I’ve always felt “Hell’s Reign” sounded significantly more epic than the rest of this album, as if Damien Thorne recorded it live to an audience of demonic vikings. Its got that warring, merciless drive of early Omen and Manowar, tapping that US power metal vein with just the right subtlety. “Escape or Die” takes us back to the Mercyful Fate-isms of “The Ritual”, albeit with a slight speed metal slant. The contrast of the anthemic chorus with the militant twin guitars makes for one hell of a performance.
Arguably the fastest song on this outing, “Siren’s Call” boasts all the ingredients of a ripping speed metal song. The drums lay down a motörcharged beat, the riffs are hooky as hell, the vocals are rotten, and the solo is downright blistering. Good luck not banging your head to this one. Rounding it all out is the epic suite “Damien’s Procession (March of the Undead)”. This vast NWOBHM inspired composition pounds the listener like a hammer, daring you to shy away from its raw, steely glory. It’s no wonder crowds far and wide air guitar and fist-pump to this cult metal classic.
Despite the creative success of The Sign of the Jackal, the album did little in the way of grabbing the collective attention of the underground. I can only chock this up to wrong place, wrong time. Come ’86, thrash was king. With the exception of releases from Maiden, Ozzy, Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and Crimson Glory, anything remotely traditional adjacent was dead in the water.While their prospective second album, Wrath of Darkness, was canned entirely, Damien Thorne soldiered on through the dark days of the 90s and 00s in various incarnations. Today, Mandat still leads the band, who continues to record new music and perform both locally and abroad. Try as you might, you can’t stop “Damien’s Procession”!