Crimson Thorn

Crimson Thorn is a Christian death metal band from the United States. AllMusic describes them as "surely one of the world's most extreme-sounding Christian metal bands." They have played at both Cornerstone Festival and Sonshine Festival, and have been covered by HM Magazine.

The group started in 1991 with Luke Renno, Dave Quast, Dylan Paul Jenniges, Paul Jongeward, and Miles Sunde. Just before recording their first demo, Jenniges left, and Renno switched to bass. That demo, Plagued, was cut in 1992 at Blue Moon Studios in Minneapolis. After Quast departed, Kevin Sundberg took over drums, and the band shifted from thrash to death metal.

Their debut full-length, Unearthed, came out in 1994 on Atomic Records and was later re-released by R.E.X. Records. Jongeward left before the 1997 album Dissection (on Morphine Records), replaced by Andy Kopesky; Little Rose Records re-released it in 1999. Purification followed after the band built a home studio in Sundberg’s basement.

At Cornerstone Festival 2007, Crimson Thorn announced they were working on a new album and played unreleased tracks that were more melodic than earlier work, though they promised the rest of the album would be heavier. On July 6, 2019, they came off an unofficial hiatus for a week of shows in March 2020 on the Hasten Revelation Tour with Broken Flesh, Abated Mass of Flesh, Taking the Head of Goliath, and Cardiac Rupture. Broken Flesh dropped out due to health concerns, replaced by My Place Was Taken.

Former members include Dylan Paul Jenniges (bass, 1991–1992), Dave Quast (drums, 1991–1993), Jeff Anderson (drums, 1993–1994), Kevin Sundberg (drums, vocals, 1994–2003), Paul Jongeward (guitar, 1991–1997), Andy Kopesky (guitar, keyboards, 1997–2005), Collin Anderson (keyboards, 2005–2006), and Brett Wilson (bass, vocals, 2005–2007). Former live member Billy Frazer played drums.

Discography: studio albums Unearthed (1995), Dissection (1997), Purification (2002); demo Plagued (1993); compilations Unearthed for Dissection (2005) and Anthology of Brutality: 1992-2002 The Complete Collective Works (3-CD set, 2017); compilation appearance "Anorexia Spiritual" on A Tribute to Living Sacrifice (2001); and DVD Live in Minneapolis (2005).