Wednesday, October 25, 7 p.m.
Rock Island Brewing Company, 1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island IL
RIBCO is set to host a special Wednesday-night concert with one of the country's most lauded and prolific metal bands, as the musicians of Thou have, over the past 10 years, released 10 EPs, four compilation albums, and five studio albums, with Pitchfork magazine naming 2014's Heathen “Best Metal Album of the Year.”
Originally based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Thou was formed by guitarists Andy Gibbs and Matthew Thudium, bassist Mitch Wells, and drummer Terry Gulino in 2005, and recorded its first full-length effort Tyrant in 2007 after the arrival of vocalist Bryan Funck. SputnikMusic.com immediately praised Thou for “stepping ahead of typical doom bands who limit themselves to monotonous style” and the band's “versatility, unrestraint, and aspiration,” and the album's success led to the release of 2008's Peasant and a string of EPs, among them Malfeasance Retribution, The Retaliation of the Immutable Force of Nature, and Baton Rouge/You Have Much to Answer For.
In addition to their originals – with SputnikMusic.com noting that with Thou, “the lyrics and music are equally important” – the group has covered artists ranging from Nine Inch Nails (on “Terrible Lie”) to Nirvana (“Something in the Way,” “Sifting,” and “Aneurysm”). But Thou also continues to experiment with their own signature style, as evidenced by Heathen's employment of guest vocalist and collaborator Emily McWilliams. As stated in Pitchfork: “Mixing in clean vocals, acoustic passages, and strings and horns, the 60-plus minute Heathen is the Louisiana sludge/doom band’s most punishing work to date, and yet it's also their most beautiful.”
Thou performs locally with opening sets by Aseethe and Closet Witch, tickets are $10, and more information on the night is available by calling (309)793-1999 or visiting RIBCO.com.
