{"id":629554,"date":"2024-08-01T19:00:50","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T16:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/thous-punishment-ritual\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T19:00:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T16:00:50","slug":"thous-punishment-ritual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/thous-punishment-ritual\/","title":{"rendered":"#Thou\u2019s punishment ritual"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content_blocks\">\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<style>\n<p> article.custom .custom-title, article.custom .custom-media .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }<\/p>\n<p> article.custom .custom-attribution, article.custom .custom-attribution a {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }<\/p>\n<p> article.custom .content_block blockquote.pull_quote {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262968\" class=\"content_block flush title center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"custom-title\">\n      Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-description\">\n      The legendary Louisiana band discuss the compromises, regrets, and reckonings that led to their latest album, <i>Umbilical<\/i>.\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-attribution\">\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Raphael Helfand<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-media\">\n<div class=\" image center_align\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/23_vfgg1i\/thou-s-bryan-funck-performs-at-the-zeitgeist-in-arabi-louisiana-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Thou\u2019s Bryan Funck performs at the Zeitgeist in Arabi, Louisiana. Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"custom_share_buttons_top \" style=\"\">\n<div id=\"new_socials_bottom\" class=\"new_socials_footer  \">\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Facebook-747312c39722d47504a80f02500b8d4ad2e36acf922bad1c83799db1bc77f605.png\"><br \/>\n      <!-- <span>Share<\/span> --><\/p>\n<p>  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefader.com%2F2024%2F08%2F01%2Fthou-umbilical-profile%3Futm_source%3Df%26utm_medium%3Dtw%26utm_campaign%3Dshare&amp;text=Thou%E2%80%99s%20punishment%20ritual&amp;via=thefader\" class=\"new_social_footer_button twitter new_social_share_button\" data-ga-event-category=\"Social Share\" data-ga-event-label=\"Twitter\" data-ga-on=\"click\" data-ga-event-action=\"cilck\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Twitter-8d78f695280aa3f8a4461702c68e9fcbfd6042af1600c62d49fdec4b735fb57a.png\"><br \/>\n    <!-- <span>Tweet<\/span> --><br \/>\n  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/logo-snapchat-5f1563935ac089d0cf1773f642ddbfb6cdb16e8c4ac14fec95a3c11b6f963389.svg\"><br \/>\n        <!-- <span>Snap<\/span> --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<style>\n #content_block-262969 {\n   background: ;\n   padding-bottom: 40px;\n }<\/p>\n<p> #content_block-262969,  #content_block-262969 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262969 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262969\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"lead-text\">Back in the day,<\/span> when Thou had a problem with a crowd, they\u2019d play pain sets. \u201cWe\u2019d come out and play all of our longest, slowest songs to punish the audience,\u201d guitarist Andy Gibbs remembers. These 10-minute-plus tracks \u2014 centerpieces of every full-length Thou album up until their newest one, <i>Umbilical<\/i> \u2014 are depraved, post-doom documents of eternal suffering, channeling the flow of the band\u2019s roiling anger into an even more sinister ooze.<\/p>\n<p>            There have been no pain sets lately. In the beginning, Louisiana\u2019s heaviest band in a generation \u2014 founded by Gibbs, fellow guitarist Matthew Thudium, bassist Mitch Wells, and drummer Terry Gulino in 2005 and joined by frontman Bryan Funck two years later \u2014 were forced to split bills with bands they disdained. Sharing the stage with the sloppy, arrogant, ignorant posers who turned Funck off metal in high school, they\u2019d perform for bored, dead-eyed crowds uninterested in their challenging work. 19 years later, they can play with whomever they want. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262970,  #content_block-262970 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262970 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262970\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/29_ywrohj\/bryan-funck-at-he-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Bryan Funck at he Zeitgeist. Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-263047\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262971,  #content_block-262971 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262971 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262971\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            Funck strikes a frightening figure on stage. In Thou\u2019s pain-set days, he used to berate bored concertgoers for not moving enough. Now that he\u2019s become the primary object of interest at most every show he plays, he prefers not to interact at all. \u201cI\u2019m not a performer,\u201d he tells me. \u201cI\u2019m not up there to do a little dance for people or be a thing for them to look at. When people are too attentive to everything I\u2019m doing, it feels like I\u2019m acting in a play. I have to just ignore the crowd if that starts h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On an early June night at the Zeitgeist \u2014  a New Orleans theater and film institution since 1986, operating out of Arabi since 2019 \u2014 Thou play a pulverizing set, ripping through <i>Umbilical<\/i> with relish in front of an enthusiastic audience of friends and diehard fans. Tyler Coburn \u2014 the group\u2019s drummer since 2018 \u2014  blasts his way under some of the fastest songs the band has ever recorded; the three-headed monster of Wells, Gibbs, and Thudium lock into tightly chaotic grooves; Funck paces the stage, whisper-screams into the mic, wraps the cord around his neck, and assumes menacing, petrified poses, never once addressing the unwashed masses moshing at his feet.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262979,  #content_block-262979 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262979 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262979\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/3_1_sopi6s\/the-crowd-at-the-zeitgeist-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      The crowd at the Zeitgeist. Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262972,  #content_block-262972 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262972 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262972\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cI wanted it to have feeling, and I wanted it to be slow enough that you could digest feelings from it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262973,  #content_block-262973 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262973 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262973\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            Behind the counter at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#ad2c18\" href=\"https:\/\/sistersinchrist.space\/\">Sisters in Christ<\/a> \u2014 the record shop he\u2019s run out of a storefront on Magazine and Dufossat Streets for the past eight years \u2014 Funck is laid back and almost friendly. The slim, 44-year-old punk is in recovery mode, 44 hours after the Zeitgeist release show.<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cI\u2019m a little roughed up,\u201d he tells me, surrounded by vinyl, comics, and other curiosities. \u201cI\u2019m getting older and my voice is super out of shape. We don\u2019t practice as much as I\u2019d like to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            Funck famously entered Thou by force, emailing Gibbs a mutinous proposal to kick Thudium \u2014 then the group\u2019s lead vocalist \u2014 out of the band to make room for his own obliterating voice (and ego). Part of the idea, he says, was to add a group he liked to the thinning roster of heavy local outfits he could book at his Banks Street warehouse home; joining was just a bonus. <\/p>\n<p>            It was an easier sell than one might imagine: Funck\u2019s reputation as New Orleans\u2019 most dedicated and prolific punk purveyor preceded him. And Thudium, a guitarist at heart, was happy to hand off his vocal responsibilities to a more enthusiastic party.<\/p>\n<p>            In the roughly two years between the band\u2019s official formation in Baton Rouge and Funck\u2019s 2007 arrival, they took what gigs they could, playing with jam bands at a local steakhouse before they began hosting their own shows at Wells\u2019s house \u2014 his father remains their biggest fan. These rites of passage are expected for emerging bands, but Funck raised the stakes, spreading the group\u2019s sphere of influence 80 miles east on the I-10.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262974\" class=\"content_block diptych triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper half_gutter_right gutter_btm\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a3569218491_10_bvsoxb\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"media_wrapper half_gutter_left\" style=\"\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a1428707779_10_ucc5we\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262975\" class=\"content_block diptych triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper half_gutter_right gutter_btm\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a2983622322_10_xl0k7i\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"media_wrapper half_gutter_left\" style=\"\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/a0610068978_10_mma9yu\/thou-umbilical-profile.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-263048\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262976,  #content_block-262976 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262976 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262976\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Along with his considerable rolodex, prodigious pen, and nightmarish delivery, Funck brought with him the singular visual aesthetic the band had been missing: Versions of their first four album covers \u2014 for <i>Tyrant<\/i>, <i>Peasant<\/i>, <i>Summit<\/i>, and <i>Heathen<\/i> \u2014 are striking woodcut illustrations of a bearded man, displayed respectively as a king, a serf, a Christ figure, and a sinner cringing in the face of God\u2019s wrath. <\/p>\n<p>            The same artistic integrity and attention to detail can be found in the band\u2019s other merch and promotional material. An old-school booker through and through, Funck speeds headlong into a tangent during our first interview on the laziness of local promoters. \u201cPeople wanna white glove it,\u201d he tells me. \u201cThat\u2019s why all these shows happen in clubs; they just wanna show up and look cool. I mean, dude, most of them don\u2019t even make flyers!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            At that moment, we\u2019re discussing another of Funck\u2019s many pet peeves: the lack of all-ages shows in New Orleans due to a perceived dearth of all-ages venues. Back in Funck\u2019s salad days, he maintained a commitment to never booking 18- or 21-plus spaces. It\u2019s a tenet of the hardcore, anarchist (straight-edge, vegan) punk community he came up in, and one he holds dear. His radicalizing moment, however, was not what you\u2019d expect. <\/p>\n<p>            \u201cI was supposed to go see Weezer when they were touring the blue record,\u201d he says. \u201cThey were gonna play at UNO [Lakefront Arena], but they didn\u2019t sell enough tickets, and the show got moved to [longstanding uptown club] Tipitina\u2019s. I was 16 at the time, so I couldn\u2019t get in. That always stuck in my craw.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>            When he started booking shows of his own, he was \u201creal militant\u201d about never excluding anyone on the basis of age, even if it took a little extra work to find venues that would accommodate minors, and about maxing out ticket prices at $5, a policy he stuck to from 1999 through at least 2015, he says. Despite his shift in focus to keeping Sisters in Christ\u2019s doors open in recent years, entry to Thou\u2019s <i>Umbilical<\/i> release show marked a return to that price point. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262980,  #content_block-262980 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262980 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262980\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/16_ec2fwm\/thou-matthew-thudium-offscreen-left-mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-obscured-bryan-funck-right-and-andy-gibbs-offscreen-right-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Thou: Matthew Thudium (offscreen left), Mitch Wells (left), Tyler Coburn (center (obscured)), Bryan Funck (right), and Andy Gibbs (offscreen right). Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262977,  #content_block-262977 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262977 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262977\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cYou do things a certain way because you\u2019re lazy or you\u2019re aggravated or you\u2019re stressed out or whatever. To me, that\u2019s not a good enough excuse.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262978,  #content_block-262978 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262978 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262978\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            Being in a band is another kind of compromise. For Funck, Thou was a reaction to the sloppiness of their Louisiana sludge metal forebears \u2014 the unholy trinity of Eyehategod, Acid Bath, and Crowbar, to whom they continue to be compared, much to his dismay. At heart, he was still a \u201990s punk, more aligned with Misfits, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains than anyone from his home state. <\/p>\n<p>            The original members \u2014 Wells and Gibbs, at least \u2014 had a less confrontational perspective but still felt the need to fill a hole: an extreme, heavy band divorced from the scene\u2019s endemic machismo, artless aggression, and ignorance; a slower, more melodic sound, closer to post-rock or stoner metal than most Gulf Coast fare. \u201cI wanted it to be, for lack of a better word, emotional,\u201d Gibbs says, describing the early music he wrote for Thou. \u201cI wanted it to have feeling, and I wanted it to be slow enough that you could digest feelings from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cI was just along for the ride at that point,\u201d Wells admits. He remembers almost getting booted from the band for missing practices and bringing his reluctant girlfriend to the ones he did attend.  <\/p>\n<p>            Ultimately, they met somewhere in the middle. In the 17 years since Funck joined, they\u2019ve released six studio LPs and four full-length collaborations with other artists, with two dozen-odd splits, EPs, and seven-inch singles filling the gaps between their longer releases. None of this would have been possible without compromise, but compromise comes at a cost.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262984\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left video\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%;\">\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thou - Umbilical Full Album (Official Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7zlw_WD6oxg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n \/\/trackYouTubeVideo('262984');\n<\/script><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-263017,  #content_block-263017 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-263017 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-263017\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cYou can\u2019t reward some people without punishing others.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262982,  #content_block-262982 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262982 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262982\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            Funck wrote the lyrics to <i>Umbilical<\/i> from the perspective of an earlier version of himself: the 18-year-old DIY-or-die idealogue who would have scoffed at the many compromises and concessions he\u2019s made, both as a member of Thou and as a single human entity, to become who he is today \u2014 an aging record store owner with $50 in the bank, by his own account, but also the face of a band whose legacy will live on long after he rasps his last words. <\/p>\n<p>            Perhaps in deference to this monomaniacal ghost of Funck past, <i>Umbilical<\/i> sounds more like hardcore than anything else in Thou\u2019s catalog. You won\u2019t find any signs of deference in the instrumentals, though. There\u2019s no compromise in the thrashing white knucklers, led by Coburn\u2019s breakneck drumming \u2014 \u201cHouse of Ideas,\u201d \u201cI Feel Nothing When You Cry,\u201d and \u201cUnbidden Guest,\u201d \u2014 that bisect the album, tracks that wouldn\u2019t feel entirely alien on a Bad Brains record. Neither are their vocal half measures on \u201cNarcissist\u2019s Prayer\u201d nor \u201cI Return as Chained and Bound to You,\u201d slow-churning meat grinders that, despite their relatively meager run times could easily find a home in the most malevolent of pain sets. \u201cPain has been a huge part of our journey,\u201d Gibbs reflects, \u201cbut this is the first time we\u2019ve inflicted it on ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            Thou\u2019s self-flagellation ritual begins in <i>Umbilical<\/i>\u2019s opening moments. \u201cCan you hear the cries of worn out phrases from listless gazes, pretentious lingering in childish phases, the heartless hand and empty gestures, the pitiful searching for hollow pleasures,\u201d Funck howls on \u201cNarcissist\u2019s Prayer,\u201d as the song\u2019s battering, repetitive main riff gains slow momentum. \u201cLost in empty dialectics, the art of building up and tearing down, of discussing all things and accomplishing nothing. Of compromised ideals, friendships abandoned, our works substandard, our principles meandering. So speak our names as a warning, as a curse, as a failure. At last, it\u2019s time to die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            Seeing these lines laid out on paper, one would imagine Funck and his band\u2019s infractions to be worthy of a fate worse than hell. When pressed to name them, though, he mainly cites minor digressions from his core beliefs \u2014 occasionally performing in 18-plus clubs, sharing bills with bands whose values don\u2019t align with his own \u2014 the type of lapses that come with the territory of going about one\u2019s life.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262981,  #content_block-262981 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262981 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262981\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/11_gledzj\/mitch-wells-left-tyler-coburn-center-and-bryan-funck-right-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Mitch Wells (left), Tyler Coburn (center), and Bryan Funck (right). Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262983,  #content_block-262983 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262983 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262983\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cWhy would you take this thing that\u2019s different and make it exactly like everything else?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262985,  #content_block-262985 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262985 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262985\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            The only major, publicized demerit on Thou\u2019s hardcore report card is their performance at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#ad2c18\" href=\"https:\/\/riffipedia.fandom.com\/wiki\/Scion_RockFest#2010\">Scion Rock Fest 2010<\/a> (sponsored by the car company), a foul so flagrant it caused the editors at <i>Maximum Rocknroll<\/i> \u2014 punk\u2019s reining broadsheet for nearly 40 years until its 2019 dissolution \u2014 to put the band on a list of sellouts, and for <i>Antigravity Magazine<\/i> editor Dan Fox to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#ad2c18\" href=\"https:\/\/antigravitymagazine.com\/feature\/thou-you-have-much-to-answer-for\/\">corner them into an awkward, on-record exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>            Wells remains dismissive of the controversy surrounding their appearance at the festival, calling it a means to an end \u2014 the end being the acquisition of funds to bring Nottingham doom metal deities Moloch stateside. But Gibbs remembers losing sleep over the decision to effectively help a corporation gain a modicum of punk credibility, and Funck, true to form, says he agrees with <i>MRR<\/i>\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cIf you\u2019re in a band that has any level of ambition, you\u2019re setting yourself up for having to compromise,\u201d Gibbs says. \u201cIt\u2019s an inherently compromising position to be a band that puts out albums for consumption. We\u2019ve definitely made compromises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cI was thinking about suggesting we talk ourselves off Spotify,\u201d Wells says. \u201cWe should have that convo at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cProbably during an interview,\u201d Gibbs responds.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262986,  #content_block-262986 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262986 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262986\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/26_v5ir6h\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-left-watch-matthew-thudium-center-mitch-wells-right-and-bryan-funck-far-right-perform-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      The Zeitgeist crowd (left) watch Matthew Thudium (center), Mitch Wells (right), and Bryan Funck (far right) perform. Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-263049\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262988,  #content_block-262988 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262988 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262988\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Even Funck acknowledges that some of the ideals he held in such esteem as a young punk don\u2019t align with the way things work in the real world. \u201cAs a 44-year-old man, I would stand by most of what we\u2019ve done as a band,\u201d he says. \u201cBut in terms of how we\u2019ve treated one another, those are the places where I\u2019m a bit less sympathetic to us not reaching a higher standard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            This standard, he claims, is not one to which he\u2019d hold the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> population, though he can\u2019t help but disparage those who enter the culture industry in search of a payday as hucksters and frauds. <i>Umbilical<\/i>, he says, is about \u201cstriving to be better and get closer to how I want it to be, rather than how we\u2019ve felt like it needed to be in order to continue. <\/p>\n<p>            \u201cYou do things a certain way because you\u2019re lazy or you\u2019re aggravated or you\u2019re stressed out or whatever,\u201d he goes on. \u201cTo me, that\u2019s not a good enough excuse.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262987,  #content_block-262987 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262987 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262987\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>Pain has been a huge part of our journey, but this is the first time we\u2019ve inflicted it on ourselves.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262989,  #content_block-262989 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262989 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262989\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            Funck\u2019s meta album process begins with the construction of an opening salvo and a closing statement. The rest of the world is built between these two poles. But since Thou is a band built on consensus \u2014 though not an anarchist band, he clarifies \u2014 he can\u2019t impose his preferred narrative arc on a record without sign-offs from the rest of the group. In conversations surrounding the sequencing <i>Umbilical<\/i>, he fought with Gibbs about opening with \u201cNarcissist\u2019s Prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            In Gibbs\u2019s eyes, kicking things off with such a classic Thou cut \u2014 slow and hard and heavy in all the usual places \u2014 was a cheap fake-out, hiding the fundamental differences between this project and their previous ones. He ultimately came around, in part because of the elegant symmetry of pairing the track with the album\u2019s equally slow, equally punishing closer, \u201cSiege Perilous.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>            \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting way of putting it,\u201d he tells me, though he generally disagrees with my characterization of the song. \u201cIn times of writer\u2019s block, when I\u2019m not feeling up for writing brutal and punishing music, forcing myself into that zone is almost a form of Catholic self-discipline. The riffs on \u2018Siege Perilous\u2019 are just us flogging ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cYou can\u2019t reward some people without punishing others,\u201d Wells jokes.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262990,  #content_block-262990 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262990 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ad2c18;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262990\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/2_3_c4pzue\/the-zeitgeist-crowd-photo-by-author.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Thou\u2019s punishment ritual\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      The Zeitgeist crowd. Photo by author.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-262991,  #content_block-262991 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-262991 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-262991\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            The symmetry between \u201cNarcissist\u2019s Prayer\u201d and \u201cSiege Perilous\u201d is there in Funck\u2019s lyrics, too, as is his and Gibbs\u2019s mutual desire to purge their sins through suffering. \u201cLife used to be so hard, now everything is easy,\u201d he shouts, his voice rising from a pissed growl to a feverish scream. \u201cTurn back the page with my friend, with my friend from so far away. We\u2019ve seen how love can grow, now we see how it dies. Peace has finally come upon me, and it leaves me weak.\u201d By the album\u2019s unforgiving logic, Thou\u2019s acclaim and the scarce creature comforts they\u2019ve accumulated by virtue of their limited success are evidence of spiritual necrosis.<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cArise from our deathbed,\u201d Funck roars as the song barrels to a close, rousing himself from his cowardly slumber. \u201cReturn to life just to walk away. And I\u2019m not coming back.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Raphael Helfand<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/2024\/08\/01\/thou-umbilical-profile\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thou\u2019s punishment ritual The legendary Louisiana band discuss the compromises, regrets, and reckonings that led to their latest album, Umbilical. By Raphael Helfand Thou\u2019s Bryan Funck performs at the Zeitgeist in Arabi, Louisiana. Photo by author. \u00a0 Back in the day, when Thou had a problem with a crowd, they\u2019d play pain sets. \u201cWe\u2019d come&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":629555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/c_limit,w_1024\/c_crop,h_533,w_1024,x_0,y_13,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/23_y907co\/23_y907co.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[89091,151130],"class_list":["post-629554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-punk","tag-thou"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=629554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/629555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=629554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=629554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=629554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}