Thine, from West Yorkshire UK, first formed in 1993 as Blood of Thine but it wasn’t until 1996 (& a name-change to just Thine), that the band decided to record their first studio demo. This took place at ACADEMY STUDIOS (Paradise Lost, Anathema, My Dying Bride, etc). This ‘Journeys’ tape was released in 1997 & was a work of atmospheric/folk-tinged metal. At this time a second demo (‘Blue Tape’) had already been recorded, in order to look for a suitable record deal. Recording took place again at ACADEMY STUDIOS & the tracks were more dark & brooding atmospheric metal compositions.
There were more than a few offers coming in from labels around this time, and Thine signed with Peaceville Records later that same year. Just after signing, the band contributed to the Peaceville compilation CD “X” which involved doing a metallic cover version of a non-metal track. The NICK CAVE track “Song of Joy” from the 1996 MURDER BALLADS was chosen. At this point the band was asked to play a couple of shows with MAYHEM and PRIMORDIAL. November 1997 saw the gigs unfold well & the name of Thine continued on once more!
In January 1998 it was time to record the debut album for Peaceville Records. ‘A Town Like This’ was recorded at ACADEMY STUDIOS and was engineered / mixed by MAGS. Reviewers stated that the sound was like old prog bands like GENESIS, GONG, KING CRIMSON, culminating in a twisted yet eclectic mix of metal madness. The album finally came out in July 1998. Reviews were very good & positive with TERRORIZER mag labelling Thine METAL NOIR!; a very fitting title for such an experimental act.
After the album’s release, & following more live work supporting acts such as Misery Loves Company & Anathema, many new tracks were written as the style became more streamlined & rock-oriented, with catchy songs being composed for the second studio album, to be titled ‘In Therapy’.
First, in March 2001 the band played the PEACEFEST shows with Beyond Dawn, Soundisciples, Katatonia and My Dying Bride (Ironic given drummer Dan Mullins’ now accreditation with MDB), which involved 3 shows in 3 days, in 3 different countries: England, Belgium and The Netherlands.
Recording commenced on the second album on September 11th 2001. The session took place at a new-look ACADEMY STUDIOS with the legendary MAGS in the hot-seat. This was a first time out recording in digital and using Pro-Tools. The album was then mastered at the infamous ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS. The sessions were reflective of a cathartic process that had been building for a time, an exploration of dark human psychology, all wrapped up in some catchy dark rock tunes compared favourably with acts such as Katatonia & Anathema.
IN THERAPY was released SEPTEMBER 2002 and received some truly great reviews, especially from the British press. The band backed this up with a short UK tour supporting Anathema.
In the following years Thine continued to play live at festivals & headline shows whilst writing continued for the anticipated third album. However, due to changes in life circumstances, the band as a whole was laying low for several years, though new songs were still being created. Various rough demo recordings were made of new tracks, & even though the various members kept in touch throughout this period, it wasn’t until early 2011 that the band came together once more to starting rehearsing older material whilst structuring the new compositions. And then it was time for the third album, ‘The Dead City Blueprint’ to be recorded; a progression from ‘In Therapy’, but still with the same rock/metal roots yet much more ambitious in its scope; & so the band entered Academy Studios once more, with the album set for release April 2014 on Peaceville Records.