Thomas Thorn
Encyclopedia
Thomas Torquemada Thorn (Born Thomas A. Lockyear, II) was born August 2, 1964 in Madison, WI.
He is best-known as co-founder of, and lead vocalist for, the industrial metal
band The Electric Hellfire Club.
During his youth, Thorn participated in several punk and post-punk bands (including the short-lived WestWorld), before founding the power-electronics duo Slave State with Boris Dragos in 1987. Slave State played a handful of shows throughout the midwest along with staging a performance entitled "The Theory and Practice of Hell" in Antwerp, Belgium. While Slave State only released their music in cassette format, their influence was nonetheless far-reaching as they are cited by Godflesh founder Justin Broadrick as the inspiration for the title of his album bearing the group's name.
Re-locating to Chicago later that year, Thorn was approached and offered a position as live keyboardist for industrial dance pioneers My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
, which he accepted, under the pseudonym "Buck Ryder". Following Dragos' suicide in early 1989, Thorn signed on as a permanent member of the group. During his tenure with the band, Thorn (under his Buck Ryder guise) toured extensively with the band, and appeared in the music video
for the song "Kooler Than Jesus". Thorn also claims to have contributed to both the "Confessions of a Knife" and "Sexplosion!" albums. Thorn chose to leave the group for undisclosed reasons prior to that album's release in 1991, instead relocating to Kenosha, WI where he founded The Electric Hellfire Club with Shane Lassen (Rev. Dr. Luv) and guitarist Ronny Valeo of Screamer.
During a 1996 tour with Boyd Rice
, Rice introduced Thorn to Church of Satan
founder, Anton LaVey
. During their meeting, he was ordained a priest
in the church by LaVey. Thorn later wrote a eulogy of LaVey following the latter's death in 1997, which appeared in the Church of Satan's house organ The Black Flame.
Thorn relocated to the Florida Keys in 2004 where he continues to pursue creative endeavors including music, painting, and writing. He remains active in the Church of Satan
and is currently working on material for a new Electric Hellfire Club release.
He is best-known as co-founder of, and lead vocalist for, the industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band The Electric Hellfire Club.
During his youth, Thorn participated in several punk and post-punk bands (including the short-lived WestWorld), before founding the power-electronics duo Slave State with Boris Dragos in 1987. Slave State played a handful of shows throughout the midwest along with staging a performance entitled "The Theory and Practice of Hell" in Antwerp, Belgium. While Slave State only released their music in cassette format, their influence was nonetheless far-reaching as they are cited by Godflesh founder Justin Broadrick as the inspiration for the title of his album bearing the group's name.
Re-locating to Chicago later that year, Thorn was approached and offered a position as live keyboardist for industrial dance pioneers My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based out of Chicago, Illinois.-History:...
, which he accepted, under the pseudonym "Buck Ryder". Following Dragos' suicide in early 1989, Thorn signed on as a permanent member of the group. During his tenure with the band, Thorn (under his Buck Ryder guise) toured extensively with the band, and appeared in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "Kooler Than Jesus". Thorn also claims to have contributed to both the "Confessions of a Knife" and "Sexplosion!" albums. Thorn chose to leave the group for undisclosed reasons prior to that album's release in 1991, instead relocating to Kenosha, WI where he founded The Electric Hellfire Club with Shane Lassen (Rev. Dr. Luv) and guitarist Ronny Valeo of Screamer.
During a 1996 tour with Boyd Rice
Boyd Rice
Boyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
, Rice introduced Thorn to Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
founder, Anton LaVey
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
. During their meeting, he was ordained a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in the church by LaVey. Thorn later wrote a eulogy of LaVey following the latter's death in 1997, which appeared in the Church of Satan's house organ The Black Flame.
Thorn relocated to the Florida Keys in 2004 where he continues to pursue creative endeavors including music, painting, and writing. He remains active in the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
and is currently working on material for a new Electric Hellfire Club release.