The Arcade

Metal is a genre that must be talked about in very specific terms. There are simply too many niches and sub-divisions within the genre for someone to say, “I am a metal fan” and have people understand exactly what they mean. We can’t expect a Slayer fan to care for Norwegian Black Metal for no other reason than the music doesn’t have much in common besides speed and brutality. Some groups, however, manage to convey this diversity of sounds within a single project. Baton Rouge’s Thou is one such example. 

Thou’s most recent release, “The Archer and the Owle,” marks a continuation of the band’s fascination with medieval times — as the extra “e” on “owl” illustrates. Thematically, the record doesn’t really differ from Thou’s earlier work or from subject matter common throughout most underground metal. Thou’s music deals with ideas of despair, the decline of civilization, pestilence, violence and oppression. These angry lyrics are nothing new for sludge metal — the genre Thou is usually lumped into — and the band’s innovation is more noticeable in its sound than its lyricism. 

The vocal style itself is a departure from most sludge bands. The wolf-like growl of bands like Neurosis, the more traditional melodic vocals of Baroness or Torche, and the screaming of New Orleans favorites Eyehategod are nowhere to be found on “The Archer and the Owle.” Instead, the vocals resemble the demonic screechings of black metal, sounding more like Norwegian bands than a sludge group from the bayou. Instrumentally, Thou doesn’t restrict itself to a sludge sound, instead experimenting with psychedelic overtones. The Baton Rouge metal-heads can move from brutality to middle-era Pink Floyd within a single song. Thou plays shows in New Orleans almost every other week, so be sure to check them out for a some good, old fashioned headbanging fun.

-Sam Abramowitz