Thou + Portrayal of Guilt

For more than ten years, Thou has been mixing existential anger and slowly pulsating sludge metal with elegant melodies and screamed vocals of front man Bryan Funck,

And these are busy bees, as the Baton Rouge band with punk attitude have released numerous quality records so far. Ever since their 2007 debut, the band released no fewer than seven split records and six full-length albums. Their most recent ‘normal’ album, “Magus”, came out in 2018 through Southern Lord Records, which is a specialised label in the heavy genre. This monumental album is as thick as the suffocating air of the Louisiana swamps that the band hails from. Their sound is thick, heavy, and nasty, but there’s still plenty of beauty in the melodies.

In 2020 the band collaborated with Emma Ruth Rundle for a unique project, resulted in a ‘breezier’ album than usual. “May Our Chamber Be Full” is still dark, gloomy and desolate, but breath-takingly beautiful at the same time.

The support act is also a force to be reckoned with. Portrayal of Guilt from Austin, Texas is well-known for their impressive and loud productions. By mixing different styles, constantly changing the tempo, applying hectic noise eruptions, throwing intense, bone-chilling vocals in the mix, and maintaining an oppressive, detached mood throughout, the band is able to create a unique and diverse overall sound. It’s even more impressive if you realize the bombastic sound is the result of only three band members. Something you have to experience live!

So this is definitely not a night for the faint of heart. It’s highly recommended to anyone who likes their music to be a bit more adventurous however, and fans of bands like Neurosis, YOB, Sunn O))), Conan, The Body and Primitive Man should take notice.