| Umbilical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 31, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | December 2023 | |||
| Studio | Hightower (New Orleans, Louisiana) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:46 | |||
| Label | Sacred Bones | |||
| Producer | Thou | |||
| Thou chronology | ||||
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| Alternate cover art | ||||
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Umbilical is the sixth studio album by American sludge metal band Thou. It was released on May 31, 2024, through Sacred Bones Records. Recording sessions took place in December 2023 at Hightower Recording in New Orleans.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 88/100 [1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Beats Per Minute | 78% [3] |
| Distorted Sound | 10/10 [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5 [6] |
| Louder Than War | 4.5/5 [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.9/10 [8] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5 [9] |
Umbilical was met with positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 88, based on six reviews, which the website catgorized as "universal acclaim". [1]
Harry Sword of The Guardian praised the album, saying "what results is the most maximalist and invigoratingly cathartic exercise in introspection you could possibly imagine – and one of the finest metal albums of the past decade". [5] Olly Thomas of Kerrang! resumed: "this is simultaneously both the most pulverising and the most memorable release the band have put their name to in years". [6] Sputnikmusic staff Sunnyvale concluded: "Umbilical unleashes a different side of the band's signature blend of bone-crunching riffs and ear-splitting screeching, but it's characteristically well-crafted and certain to satisfy music fans previously seduced by Thou's grim and imposing style". [9] Patrick Lyons of Pitchfork stated: "Thou are a blast even when Funck is digging into esoteric philosophy over the slowest riff you've ever heard, but it's refreshing to hear them get real with themselves, jogging their music out of the enthralling but insular world they've created over the past 15-plus years". [8] John Amen of Beats Per Minute concluded, "with Umbilical, Thou toe the doom-metal line re the inevitability of suffering/the urgent need for defiance while rummaging in an expanded playbook. The band flirt with songs and song structures, writhing, per usual, in a hellish din, Bryan Funck exuding immeasurable discontent". [3]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic. Fred Thomas called it, "a nightmarish depiction of destroyed emotions and blind rage, its combination of production subtleties and light nods to '90s influences" and claimed that the band "peel away just enough intensity to make the album Thou's most coherent and engaging work yet." [2]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Narcissist's Prayer" | 6:12 |
| 2. | "Emotional Terrorist" | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Lonely Vigil" | 3:04 |
| 4. | "House of Ideas" | 6:43 |
| 5. | "I Feel Nothing When You Cry" | 3:52 |
| 6. | "Unbidden Guest" | 3:43 |
| 7. | "I Return as Chained and Bound to You" | 6:38 |
| 8. | "The Promise" | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Panic Stricken, I Flee" | 4:39 |
| 10. | "Siege Perilous" | 5:18 |
| Total length: | 48:46 | |
Thou
Additional contributors
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [10] | 34 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [11] | 32 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [12] | 12 |
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