Album Review: Magus by Thou

Magus is sludge/doom metal group Thou's first proper full-length since 2014's colossal Heathen, although it follows collaborations with the Body and the HIRS Collective, as well as three EPs that explored different facets of the group's sound (noise/drone, acoustic folk, and grunge/alt-metal). The album is their most sonically focused statement yet, primarily consisting of lengthy dirges with up-front growled lyrics that challenge concepts of ego and identity. Writing ten-minute songs is nothing new for the group, but instead of lengthy, atmospheric buildups or multi-movement choral suites, they generally get straight to the point and launch into gigantic, lumbering rhythms that serve as a platform for Bryan Funck's intensely critical thoughts.

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Magus, the fifth solo full-length proper by Thou, is already the fourth release of the year by the Louisiana sludge titans. A trio of mini-albums have already surfaced: The House Primordial (a deafeningly brilliant drone metal odyssey), Inconsolable (a surprising - but convincing - venture into dark folk), and Rhea Sylvia (a reorientation of the band's typical sound, with more emphasis than usual on alternative rock elements). These three records, which would be more than enough to be going on with together or even in isolation, deserve to be regarded as more than mere appetisers.

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