Sacred Bones Us レコード& CD

Review: Baton Rouge, Louisiana based doom-sludge auteurs Thou have become renowned for their uniquely punishing brand of psych-tinged, heaving, fuzzed-out metal, while their myriad collaborations with the likes of noise-sludge duo The Body has prevented the collective from ever resting on their laurels for long. While most recently working with Mizmor on 2022's Myopia EP, and the two preceding years spent on both the Emma Ruth Rundle full-length May Our Chambers Be Full and companion EP The Helm of Sorrow, it's now been almost six full years since the band released an LP of their sole design. 2018's Magus served as a monolithic, 75 minute statement of artistic despair whilst highlighting the catharsis found in the most crushing of sonics. Featured in the top metal releases of 2018 by Decibel, Noisey, BrooklynVegan and NPR, to name but a few, this limited tan vinyl 2xLP reissue is long overdue, and just might signal the coming signs of new Thou material out on the horizon. Whatever may come, revisit the gargantuan Magus in the meantime.

Review: Originally a digital-only release unveiled back in 2020 with little to no fanfare, Blessings Of The Highest Order served as a compilation of Nirvana covers from Louisiana sludge metal behemoths Thou. No strangers to collaborative projects or cover versions, the band's bevvy of Nirvana renditions stretched from album tribute compilations to lesser known recordings, with some cuts on the tracklist shocking even the most devout and studious of fans. This pressing marks the first time the collection has ever been made available to wax, complete with updated intimidating homo-erotic artwork, while the tracklist avoids the low hanging fruit of the most well known Nirvana singles, instead opting for deeper cuts such as 'Floyd The Barber', 'Milk It', and 'Territorial Pissings'. That isn't to say 'In Bloom' isn't a majorly popular track, but apart from that and perhaps the grinding slow-burn reimagining of 'Something In The Way', this is Nirvana worship for lifers and bruisers.