Thou have lightened up a bit on their excellent fourth album, their first since 2010’s Summit, without losing their ability to shock and awe. 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 is one of the heaviest sludge bands that anyone has ever heard. But it must be noted that while “Heathen” is Thou’s heaviest work to date, the album is also their most melodic and beautiful. They have channeled their songwriting capabilities into creating one of the most monumental metal albums in existence, weaving soft, melodic passages and prosaic, often ecstatic lyrics into the crawling, resplendently heavy riff-laden metal that they’ve been known for. And this is no mere collection of songs; this is a cohesive and ambitious record that, while centered, covers a variety of topics and emotions. In the true spirit of the record and the band’s DIY punk ethics, I should keep this in perspective and note that the album isn’t necessarily about creating something historic in scope or magnitude; it is simply focused on harnessing the freedom, hope, and despair of right now. Both the musical and lyrical approach of the record is to concentrate on what is, giving little thought to what has been or what might be. The present is all that exists.