The Louisiana sludge metal band Thou broke through in a big way with the monumentally heavy, gut-clenching 2014 album Heathen, a massive and cinematic burst of nastiness that was instantly a favorite in underground metal circles. Since releasing that album, Thou have been busy, cranking out singles and EPs and collaborations, including You, Whom I Have Always Hated, a 2015 collaborative album that they recorded with the experimental metal duo the Body. But Thou haven’t gotten around to releasing a proper follow-up album to Heathen until now.

Last night, out of nowhere, Thou released the new album The House Primordial on the small Pacific Northwest label Robotic Empire. They hadn’t teased the release of a new LP or anything like that. It just showed up out of nowhere. So between this and Sleep’s monstrous reunion album The Sciences, this has been a very good couple of weeks for thunderous, doomy metal surprises.

On first listen, Thou have not mellowed at all on their new album. If anything, they sound even more guttural and disgusting than ever. It’s a squirming, heaving, rasping demon of an album, and you can stream it below.

The House Primordial is out now on Robotic Empire. It’s yours for $6.99 at Bandcamp.