There aren't many bands that can claim a "Magnum Opus" by their first full-length LP.
And there would be serious denial on the part of Thou (I'm sure of it) towards any claim of such being accomplished by the band itself. However, in the eyes of this humble enthusiast of all that is heavy, I must stay steadfast in my claims that A) Thou is probably the most underrated 'heavy' act we have today, as well as B) that the Tyrant LP is evident of such infantile (I use this word in a non-critical, but objective way) prodigy.
The opening title-track is most definitely an opening track. And deserving of bearing the mark of the flagship in namesake. We begin with some feedback, which, by my standards and preferences...is a clear indicator that if you're going for boldness and dramatic flair to set up your fashions of the thunderous and apocalyptic sorrows, then you're most certainly making the right decisions: more so, you're on the right wavelength of evoking and absorbing serious tantric, musical emotion. The rawness of the vocals, most similar to those of black-metal stylings, provide a rough texture of frustration, yet not childish frustration of not getting what you want, but more of an authoritative disappointment at who you once considered your peers only now merely subjects of the plight of the world. When the melody begins to submit to pulses of pretty harmonics and the drums slide into a set of modest strikes, the more "human" voices begin to echo in the distance in sublime retort...only to have it all come crawling back, gnashing it's jaws.
Early Thou is present in this LP in the form of re-recorded demo tracks that were too good to leave off of future releases. With A Cold, Life Extinguishing Elegance seems to have added the word "Cold" to it's title from the original '07 demo, and appropriately so. The album version still retains the chilling effect of that "infamous" intro...only the overall environment of the song has a far more effective presence in this vein of production. The track now sits poised in the centrifugal point of the hurricane and, this time, we can see a set of ideas in full bloom thanks to what precedes and what follows.
I highly encourage the repeated listening of this record. At high volumes and at moments of high emotional acceptance (whether this be in a state of blissful empowerment or perhaps a deep canal of sadness, it's all appropriate), this music is liberating in it's portrait of modern America (and at times, modern religious fanaticism). You'll feel more aware at once, immediately satisfied...
and ultimately complete.
\m/
