It’s no secret that I am a Pelagic Records enthusiast; the wide range of artists and bands under their banner is an inherent delight for those who seek to expand their expertise in the wilds of post-metal and its adjacent genres. It’s through its adjacent genres – and my own personal revisiting of music I enjoyed years ago – that Thot came into my view. Curious about what music the band makes in comparison to others on said label, I decided to see what Delta was all about.

After listening to this album, I can tell you that Thot and labelmates Glassing may have obliterated my AOTY list this year.

First track “Euphrate” is exuberant, starting with a repeating beat before the vocals, distorted and lower-pitched, kick in. Then, the music starts, which feels cinematic and broad, incorporating elements of industrial, post-rock, and slight nods to noise that create an element of excitement and mystery.  Because most of the lyrics are in French, that mystery is heightened. You may only catch the English in passing, but they act as cues for people to sing along while the music crescendos. This carries on in other songs, such as the powerful “Bateleur” and the joyous “Supercluster,” where the English acts as a mantra while the music envelops you. These almost-euphoric songs make you want to sing along to the track, to dance to the wild beat that they emanate. When band leader Grégoire Fray sings and rasps into the track, you can’t help but want some of that euphoria, some of that joy, for yourself. At this point, I have heard “Supercluster” enough times to know that, whenever this song comes up, I will be jumping around in the comfort of my own space and dancing along.

However, it cannot be euphoric all the time, as it’s evident that there’s a deep sense of melancholy and nostalgia that colors this album with darker hues. There are hints that the album has a darker outlook despite its kaleidoscopic sonic palette and infectious zeal. Prior to the pandemic, Thot was on their way to record a new album that was supposed to be Delta, but then the pandemic obliterated everything for everyone. This iteration was scrapped due to creative differences via enforced social distance, which left Fray questioning his identity as an artist. These insecurities lie at the core of the record, and shine as the slow rhythms and darker atmospheres that belie the album’s joyous nature surface. While they don’t take over the record, you can hear it underneath the melody, muddled within the vocals and the instruments, highlighted in tracks such as “Céphéide” and “The Last Solstice.” Those lower musical tones and heavier instrumentation echo a deep sense of remembrance, and even yearn for the past (think of the “I miss you” refrain towards the end of “Céphéide”), knowing full well you cannot go back to the past.

Perhaps it’s because Delta has a thematic tie to stars and the universe, but “Sleep Oddity” seems to tie into David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” Thot seems to have taken inspiration from the song, and embedded their own feelings and observations into the track, transforming it from a track about a man who is leaving Earth and ends up trapped in space to one about someone unable to sleep and watching people pass by in the night. When morning finally comes, the person sleeps fitfully, filled with dreams of another time and of what could have been if things were different. In the end, much like Major Tom, this person ends up trapped in a cycle of their own making, wanting to call out but there’s no one around to help.

All in all, Delta has a highly cinematic feel, a constant flux of ideas that never seems to slow down. Even at the album’s slowest parts, Thot manages to move from one theme to the next, seamlessly transitioning from track to track at breakneck speed. It also has the feeling of an arthouse film: experimental, unconventional, and strangely emotional. This album is a collective effort, melding together various influences into a cohesive album that will simultaneously cheer you up and break your heart.

— Hera

---

Delta is available now on Pelagic Records. For more information on Thot, visit their official Facebook and Instagram pages.