Come together back in late 2009, Swedish heavy rockers known as Thundermother have released five albums. With many of them topping the charts in several European countries (including Sweden and Germany), they first debuted in 2014 with Rock and Roll Disaster, followed a year later with 2015’s Road Fever.
Their foundation, both albums were produced and mostly written by the band’s founder and lead guitarist, Filippa Nässil. A lot has happened since then, with the band going through significant changes on their way to the newest album, 2025’s Dirty and Divine. Their sixth album in their burgeoning catalog, the album, arrives on February 7th through AFM Records and is the dawn of a new beginning for all involved.
For founder Nässil, the road to album number six had many twists and turns in ways she could not have imagined. Born in Växjö, Sweden, the lead guitarist had a vision of what she wanted Thundermother to become and never wavered from that vision, even when it meant replacing every member of the band. Nässil did exactly that on more than one occasion. The first time was in 2017, more than a year after the release of Road Fever, when tensions led to her decision to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.
The new lineup proved to be much more productive, leading to a busy touring schedule, including a stop at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, which is widely considered to be one of the biggest heavy metal festivals in the world. The momentum continued as the band released their third album, Thundermother, in 2018, before Heat Wave in 2020. Time jump to 2023, Nässil amassing a brand new lineup – adding Vocalist Linnéa Vikström Egg (who has worked with Therion), Drummer Joan Massing, and Bassist Majsan Lindberg to form the latest incarnation of Thundermother.
Now, Thundermother stands ready to prove something with Dirty and Divine. Produced by Søren Andersen, Dirty and Divine is a testament to the strength, perseverance, and resilience of Nässil’s vision of Thundermother and her love of Rock-n-Roll. With that in mind, it is a Rock-n-Roll record in every sense of the word. Subgenres need not apply. For fans of AC/DC, L.A. Guns, and the like, this record is a throwback and a tribute to the history of Rock-n-Roll while at the same time breaking new ground and moving the genre forward into new territory.
In short, Linnéa Vikström Egg shines throughout this album on lead vocals. Additionally, Egg was a big part of the writing process, according to Nässil. The result is soaring melodies, layered, intriguing harmonies, and a newfound depth of lyrical content. The songwriting is more mature and complex, exploring deeper and more diverse themes than in previous records. This could potentially be directly attributed to Eggs’ involvement, and many musical styles are employed on this record, creating an interesting and unique Heavy Rock experience.
Offering ten songs, “So Close” is the first track, and it has a Hard Rock Country-type vibe. This is while “Can’t Put Out the Fire” dips its toe in the Punk Rock pool. Then “Speaking of the Devil” has a raucous energy and could easily be called the anthemic track on the album. Later on, “Feeling Alright” has more bounce and a lighter, more Pop appeal, while “Take the Power” is a thrasher before Egg delivers a 60-grit vocal, deep and powerful, showing her impressive range during this hard-driving on “I Left My License in the Future,”
The song explained, “Dead or Alive,” is another stand-out with a somewhat simply structured and incredibly catchy guitar hook. Additionally, the vocal melody is infectious and proves Egg and Nässil’s songwriting prowess. Then you have “Can You Feel It,” which is a loving homage to AC/DC and is incredibly effective in its execution, “Bright Eyes” brings the funk with it in this Blues-infused Rock sensation with great vocal harmonies. Lastly, “American Adrenaline” would rock at any point on this record, even as the opener, but this one is worth the wait. Digging into this one a bit deeper, opening with a chugging drum beat and Rock scream that stokes the flames of this steam engine, it is a fitting conclusion.
Overall, Thundermother continues the tradition of female Rock-n-Roll pioneers like Lita Ford and The Runaways. Raw, live, in-your-face, real, and no-nonsense Dirty and Divine embodies dirty girl Rock-n-Roll that is a must-listen for fans looking for a modern throwback record full of passion and technical prowess. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Dirty and Divine 4 out of 5 stars.
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