Sometimes you hear a song and it completely changes your opinion on a genre. That was our reaction when we heard The Thirsting’s epic version of “Hail Holy Queen.” We’d never been fans of secular acts like Green Day or The Ramones, but this one blew us away.
The Thirsting presents the timeless Marian hymn in a completely modern package. The music is everything one might expect from the punk-rock genre -- the guitars play edgy power chords, while the vocals feel like a mix between singing and shouting. Still, the dynamic energy of the piece brings a sense of joyful fun to the hymn.
The piece is made all the better when they suddenly break speed in the middle. There, the music almost begins to take on an air of the original hymn. The breakdown is short lived, however, as the band returns to rock out in the final chorus.
According to the Diocese of Duluth, the driving creative force behind The Thirsting is lead singer/songwriter Daniel Oberreuter. The life-long musician and cradle Catholic said that he began to merge music with his faith after making his first confession. His penance was to recite the Holy Rosary daily and this led to a greater devotion.
Oberreuter explained that when the time came for him to launch his musical career he treated it like a vocation. He said:
Click here to listen to more of The Thirsting’s unique brand of Catholic music.
