Review: THOU Umbilical

In between collaborations with Emma Ruth Rundle, Nirvana covers, and Video Game soundtracks, Baton Rouge staples Thou have maintained a constant dosage of devastating sludge doom all through their prolific profession. It simply goes to indicate that if a band has their sound dialed in, there’s nonetheless room to discover many chambers inside their catacombs of slow-motion riff-worship and glass-gargling snarls.

Maybe as a result of vocalist Bryan Funck does not have essentially the most intelligible fashion, the undercurrent of radical politics and left-field philosophy won’t reveal itself on first hear. However actually, that appears to be the inspiration behind Thou‘s newest album Umbilical. With a uncooked, extra hardcore-oriented sound in comparison with their 2016 full-length Magus, Thou traverses the darkish underbelly of human consciousness guided by primal rage.

There’s one thing mildly humorous about track titles like “Narcissist’s Prayer” and “I Really feel Nothing When You Cry”, however perhaps that is simply to deal with the blunt cynicism. Particularly as an opener, the previous minimize units a crushingly nihilistic aura with a deliciously filthy riff slugging away as Funck ends his theosophic diatribe with “It is time to die… So die.” The latter monitor’s relative pace will seemingly shock many long-time followers. Don’t be concerned, Thou hasn’t gone metallic hardcore, however it’s undeniably attention-grabbing to contextualize the propulsive rage of this minimize with a moshy Zao track like “5 Yr Winter” (which Thou has covered earlier than). Name it sludge-core if you’d like, however it’s clear that Thou wished to subvert their standard penchant for lumbering distress this time round.

Additionally value mentioning is the very fact solely 4 of those songs break the five-minute mark—shocking for an album on this style. This immediacy works swimmingly for the mid-tempo stomp of “Emotional Terrorist”, permitting it to channel Thou‘s hardcore sensibilities whereas sustaining respect for groovy riffs. Thou has all the time come off as a punk band enjoying doom, so listening to them up the frenetic violence within the minimize “Unbidden Visitor” just isn’t solely a refreshing change of tempo but in addition very pure. The massiveness of the bassist Mitch Wells‘ low finish and the filthiness of the guitarists Matthew Thudium and KC Stafford‘s tone stay intact, however Tyler Coburn‘s drumming drives the band into a way more throttling headspace. Even throughout passages of droning, repetitious suggestions, his work behind the package offers urgency the place there would in any other case be the musical equal of quicksand.

The transition from brooding to violence additionally helps a minimize like “Lonely Vigil” transcend the bounds of its sludge doom construction. With solely three minutes to spare, it goes straight for the jugular with partitions of thick distortion and extra frequent tempo adjustments. It simply goes to indicate how only a little bit of haste can deliver a track from bong hits to pit beef very quickly. It actually takes a particular vibe for “The Promise” to steadiness Emily McWilliam‘s soothing singing voice in what’s primarily a two-stepping hardcore track full with an ass-beating breakdown. Enjoying this to hardcore children will end in many a spin kick thrown. And but, Thou are nonetheless enjoying sludge. The riffs are nonetheless as smokey and darkish as anticipated, and Funck‘s screams stay as steadfastly spooky as ever.

Umbilical‘s added power successfully retains the enveloping manufacturing of Magus, protecting cuts like “Home of Concepts” as suffocating as they’re imply. As one of many album’s longer tracks, the stainless soundscapes do quite a lot of fill out the house throughout its prolonged interlude of ambient machinations and hypnotic chugs. There’s even a tasteful guitar solo on the “Clymax”, full with backup vocals from one Michael Berdan of Industrial ragers Uniform. Like sludgecore staples like Admiral Indignant or Black Sheep Wall, even a extra overtly doomy quantity like “I Return as Chained and Certain to You” carries a pervasive momentum. Whether or not it is the drummer staying a bit forward of himself, or the guitarists including extra licks and fewer drones, this is not doom for zoning out. The ambient parts serve for emotion, not filler.

Mockingly, the track that will get essentially the most hypnotic vibes on the album finally ends up being “Panic Stricken, I Flee”, extra in the best way of a band like Conan. The unrelenting double-time groove provides the chugging riffage a bouncy really feel, backing bystanders right into a nook the place all they will do is let the sonic detonations wash over them. The distinction of Funck‘s extra legato-style screams and even Melvins-ish guitar noodling rounds issues out properly. Actually, Umbilical does job of avoiding Thou‘s standard doom fashion, the closing monitor “Siege Perilous” really stands out for being essentially the most clear-cut instance of Thou propper. Noisy, grating, and hateful, the album ends with a (un)wholesome dose of brown-note oblivion.

The primal anger on the heart of Umbilical stays palpable, making it one among Thou‘s most memorable efforts to this point. Lengthy-time followers will nonetheless discover the molasses-caked riffs and beefy tones that they’d anticipate after the band’s nearly two-decade profession, however that tinge of hardcore power does so much to revitalize their well-established sound. It really makes this start line for anybody wanting to begin listening to Thou with out wading via 50-plus releases. It will get straight to the purpose, offers loads of bang for its buck, and does not let its elevated power get in the best way of pure riff worship.