To the many die-hard fans of THIEF, who have been waiting with bated breath, "Sermons from the Pit" will feel immediately familiar. At the same time, mastermind Dylan Neal is once again exploring thrilling new dimensions of his unique sound. Even though this release is crammed with diabolic complexities, layers of details, and full of surprising twists, the fifth album from the Los Angeles-based electronic experimentalists is remarkably accessible and offers a deceptively straightforward listening experience on its sonic surface. THIEF have put their focus on creating amazing songs. This does not mean easy listening and the sweet stickiness of pop-infused bubbles. "Sermons from the Pit" is easily THIEF's darkest and most emotionally charged work of art so far. Shaped by a difficult period of personal trouble and sorrow for Dylan Neal, this album revolves around themes of collapse, belief, suffering, identity, violence, and renewal. "Sermons from the Pit" expands electronic sound with a heavy blown-out production, trip-hop atmosphere, jungle drum'n'bass patterns, industrial textures, glitched choir samples, and at times what Dylan Neal likes to call a 'deconstructed black metal undercurrent'. He again used "cathedral clipping" as a key production element, i.e. extreme distortion, clipping, reverb, feedback, and mangled synth-choir sounds that create a cavernous, sacred, yet damaged atmosphere. With "Sermons from the Pit", THIEF take their audience on a downward journey into the pit of intense emotional pain, which turns out to be full of unexpected beauty and sonic wonders. And at the end of this musical darkness lies a promise of hopeful release.