I think it's really cool that even though Thou is one of the more well-respected doom/sludge outfits in the scene today, they'll do a split with whoever. Unfortunately this makes it a bit harder than usual to hear all of their material, so it's also really cool that something like Oakland exists. This is all material released before the turn of the decade, so it makes sense that they bare resemblance to the material from Tyrant and Peasant. That being said, these songs are not just simple B-sides or throwaways relegated to EP's and splits; rather, most if not all of these tracks would've fit well on those full-lengths, as they are written as or almost as well (and in the case of "Their Hooves Carve Craters Into The Earth", even better than). Bryan Funck sounds as destructive as one would think in these early days, and the production manages to stay relatively similar throughout the whole comp, giving it a solidarity that many others don't have. It's a pretty sweet listen, so if you enjoy Thou's earlier full-lengths, this is a must listen.
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