Album Review: Thou – Umbilical

On their sixth studio album Umbilical, Louisiana sludge metal act Thou continues to create a heavy, headbanging record. The record has everything from distorted vocals to stadium-worthy instrumental sections for a metal audience.

“Narcissist’s Player” kicks off the record in a thundering fashion. With a distorting intro feeding into a scream-filled, melodic verse, the track’s central melody never fades away, even between sections. Guitarists Matthew Thudium and Andy Gibbs provide the dark energy on this track and help it go through a few motions. 

Thudium and Gibbs are the storytellers of sound on this record. Every track isn’t dominated by vocals, bass or drums, it’s all moved by the guitarists’ decisions. 

While “Narcissist’s Player” took a darker, heavier turn sonically, “Emotional Terrorist” is more uptempo, at least in beats per minute. Its intro is more melodic and beautiful. The drums come in at just the right points with a good mix of cymbals and tones, an occasional snare thrown in for good measure. The guitars ring true and fast to keep up with them. But in the middle, a great breakdown cuts that tempo almost in half, leading the way for the guitars to show off in rhythmic patterns and the drums to do almost the same. 

Vocally, Bryan Funck’s tone is pretty consistent throughout the album. His tone is one of the best scream voices in metal, and his range is extremely impressive. Moving from the lowest growls to a higher screech helps give the track more layers.

However, the best song on the record has to be “House of Ideas.” The track surprises the listener in its opening moments, starting with four distinct hits before jumping straight into the instrumental full force. But almost three minutes in, the song puts itself in an instrumental holding pattern with repetitive guitars and no percussion.

As the distortion comes in, the drums again enter, another melodic breakdown is imminent. The wailing guitars, which sound like a mix of stadium rock and Protomartyr in their solo work, are hauntingly beautiful. Eventually, the track fades into the distance, unlike how it came in.

Overall, Thou has a pretty solid record. Its interesting instrumentation keeps the listener’s attention, and it’s the perfect balance of unexpectedness and perfection.