The album title comes from a Book of Han proverb "Thorn on one's back" (Chinese: 芒刺在背; pinyin: máng cì zài bèi), referring to a constant feeling of anxiety or unease.

The band believed this idiom reflected both their own feelings during the album's creation, as well as the situation of every Chinese person alive in the modern world.

The album was handed over to Sony Music Japan for mastering, and was released on patented Memory-Tech HQCD to ensure top quality.

[4] Thorn is a radical departure from the band's folk-influenced sound, featuring drop-tuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and the incorporation of electronic music and field recordings.

[9] On the night of the album's mainland release, Tang Dynasty played a concert - dubbed the "Sun/Thorn Concert" (Chinese: 太阳芒刺音乐会; pinyin: Tàiyáng Mángcì Yīnyuè Huì) - at the Exhibition Theater in Beijing, featuring punk band Brain Failure and Chinese Idol runner-up Yang Jima as guests.