US dark experimental electronic act Thief unleashes its inner Aphex Twin with the second advance single "Poison Drum", accompanied by a distorted new video. The track is lifted from the project's forthcoming album, Sermons From The Pit, set for release on 27 November via Prophecy Productions.

Commenting on the track, Thief mastermind Dylan Neal noted: "This represents the ninth stratum of the pit. Its voice is that of a prophet and its technique is a snare. The Sanskrit word 'nirveda' is a term that refers to detachment, dispassion, or despondency, signifying a deep disgust for material life and disillusionment with worldly pursuits. It can either catalyze embarking on a spiritual path or become the pit that consumes you in disgust and resentment. Can you hear the sound of the poison drum? This track prominently features a technique used throughout the album that I call 'cathedral clipping', where a sound – in this case a synth – is pushed first through a short convolution reverb and then completely obliterated in gain and re-amping".

To Thief's devoted followers, Sermons From The Pit will sound immediately familiar, while at the same time revealing new dimensions of Dylan Neal's singular artistic vision. Although packed with diabolical complexities, intricate layers and unexpected twists, the fifth full-length from the Los Angeles-based act remains remarkably accessible, offering a deceptively direct listening experience.

Whereas Bleed, Memory (2024) explored memory and its erosion through the deeply personal experience of witnessing a loved one descend into dementia, Sermons From The Pit turns inward. The album descends through layers of consciousness, confronting anger, heartbreak and nihilism before arriving at the possibility of empathy and release. Rather than pursuing accessibility through conventional means, Thief focus on crafting powerful and immersive compositions. As a result, Sermons From The Pit stands as the project's darkest and most emotionally intense work to date.

Born from a difficult period marked by personal hardship and sorrow, the album revolves around themes of collapse, belief, suffering, identity, violence and renewal. Its central concept follows an inescapable descent through escalating layers of consciousness that explore anger, grief, disillusionment, violence, spiritual questioning and, ultimately, acceptance.

Musically, Sermons From The Pit expands Thief's electronic foundations through blown-out production, trip-hop atmospheres, jungle and drum'n'bass rhythms, industrial textures, glitched choir samples and what Neal describes as a "deconstructed black metal undercurrent". The album further develops the "cathedral clipping" technique, employing extreme distortion, clipping, reverb, feedback and mangled synth-choir sounds to create an atmosphere that feels cavernous, sacred and damaged in equal measure.

With Sermons From The Pit, Thief take listeners on a downward journey into profound emotional darkness that unexpectedly reveals moments of beauty and sonic wonder. At the end of that descent lies the promise of release. Link