Thou has been one of the most prolific bands in the sludge and doom metal scene, from collaborative works with Emma Ruth Rundle and The Body, to covers compilation albums; nonetheless this LP has been long awaited and we can affirm that the band did not disappoint their audience. Umbilical is the band’s first full-length release of original music in six years and it’s a much more concise piece of work compared to their past ones, while still keeping the complexity that distinguishes them. Interesting to see that here we don’t find any track that reaches seven minutes.
Let’s just start by praising the production, it is nothing less but impressive. The sound is so full of body, “echoey”, noisy but with plenty of clarity at the same time, which really helps giving justice to the musicians’ skills and the vocals. All the noise and torment in this album somehow also feels tidy and ready to be served on a golden plate for you to just sit back and enjoy.
What is also great about this collection of tracks is that there are no drawn out doom passages that could make you lose your attention. It is indeed a very intense and difficult album to get through but, even on the longer tracks, the incessant drumming and the top tier riffs manage to keep you engaged. Especially if you’re a person who’s not used to listening to doom or sludge, this album could really be the perfect body of work to start appreciating it.
‘Narcissist’s Prayer’ is the perfect overture, with tragic and shrieking vocals by Bryan Funck who can be seen as playing the role of a villain here who’s opening the gates of despair for you. The first part of the album continues with a stable pace and gnarly sounds with ‘Emotional Terrorist’ and ‘Lonely Vigil’. The tone is grungy and groovy and the momentum keeps going strong until ‘House of Ideas’, the longest track of the album which opens in a eerie way to then explode with the most intensive instrumental. Perhaps this is the only tune that could feel slightly repetitive with its riffs in the middle section, yet not in a boring manner.
Almost as they knew we were going to feel that way about the previous track, ‘I Feel Nothing When You Cry’, the first single that the band released, stomps in to get things moving again. It slaps you in the face with a ferocious double-kick by Tyler Coburn supporting some proper thrash guitars’ lines. The same point is valid for the second single ‘Unbidden Guest’ coming right after, which presents us with the most catchy riff of Umbilical. On top of that, we also encounter an interesting use of sampling adding that good harsh noise touch.
The intensity slows down significantly with the seventh track ‘I Return as Chained and Bound to You’. This is an harrowing tune that drags you into some real darker places, if even it’s possible to talk about going “somewhere darker” when referring to the perpetual hell-bound sound of Thou. The album concludes with pure noise ‘Siege Perilous’. There is some primal anger here, probably the most hardcore influenced song of the album together with the opening track, consequently creating a cohesive circle. Everything wraps up with some harsh and brown noise.
Thou have once again produced something incredible. This time it’s even more special as this album serves as a clear statement that they are indeed reconnecting to their 2007 roots (hence perhaps the name “umbilical” referring to the origin of life?) and will never abandoned their raw energy and their unapologetic dissent. They constantly challenge you to confront yourself with the complexity of existence and encourage you to keep being radical and take care of the subculture that birthed all the obscure influences that made Thou the multifaceted band that they are today.