Thin Black Duke Explained

Thin Black Duke is the seventh studio album by American experimental rock band Oxbow. It was released on May 5, 2017 through Hydra Head Records.

Background and composition

According to Pitchfork writer Zoe Camp, the album "envision[s] a world domineered by disorder, a carnivalesque arena where music's most intimidating, grandiose genres (free jazz, high-concept chamber pop, noise, neoclassical, metal) can duke it out like gladiators one minute, and come together for a grotesque group hug the next."

Critical reception

Thin Black Duke was met with critical acclaim. The album received an average score of 87/100 from 9 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". In a positive review with The Quietus, Sean Guthrie wrote, "By rights no group should be peaking after 30 years of making music together, yet that is the situation in which Oxbow find themselves. Will they ever transcend Thin Black Duke? Such are the ideas and attention to detail on this record, only a fool would bet against them."^[2] Zoe Camp of Pitchfork was positive on the album, but she did not see Thin Black Duke as Oxbow's "definitive show of force".

Accolades

Year	Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank	class=unsortable
2017	Rolling Stone	United States	"20 Best Metal Albums of 2017"	7	[3]
2017	The Quietus	United Kingdom	"Albums of the Year, 2017"	10	[4]
2017	Decibel	United States	"Top 40 Albums of 2017"	30	[5]
2017	musicOMH	United Kingdom	"Top 50 Albums of 2017"	20	[6]
2017	Louder Than War	United Kingdom	"Top 100 Albums of 2017"	66	[7]
2017	The Observer	United Kingdom	"Observer readers' hidden musical gems of 2017"	align=center	-	[8]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.^{[9] [10]} Oxbow

• Dan Adams – bass
• Greg Davis – drums, percussion
• Eugene Robinson – vocals
• Niko Wenner – guitars, vocals, keyboards, composition, arrangement, production

Additional musicians

• Philippe Thiphaine – additional guitars (1, 2)
• Kyle Bruckmann – oboe (4, 7, and 8)
• Oxbow Orchestra Eternal – 16-part brass and strings ensemble
• Marco d'Ambrosio – orchestra conductor

Technical personnel

• Aaron Turner – artwork, design
• Joe Chiccarelli – engineering, mixing, production
• Scott Bergstrom – second engineer
• Monte Vallier (with Ruminator Audio) – additional engineering, song arrangement consultation
• John Golden (with Golden Mastering) – vinyl mastering
• Emily Lazar (with The Lodge) – digital mastering

Notes and References

1. Web site: Oxbow : Thin Black Duke. Jeff. Terich. Treblezine. May 16, 2017. November 7, 2018. Their music sounds is conflict caught on tape, the document of a real-time struggle scored by urgent art-rock and post-hardcore arrangements..
2. Web site: Guthrie. Sean. Oxbow - THIN BLACK DUKE. thequietus.com. The Quietus. December 24, 2017.
3. Web site: 20 Best Metal Albums of 2017. rollingstone.com. 6 December 2017. Rolling Stone. April 20, 2018.
4. Web site: Quietus Albums Of The Year 2017 In Association With Norman Records. thequietus.com. The Quietus. December 5, 2017.
5. Web site: Mudrian. Albert. Here Are Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2017. decibelmagazine.com. 20 November 2017. Decibel. December 24, 2017.
6. Web site: MusicOMH's Top 50 Albums of 2017 | Lists. 22 December 2017.
7. Web site: Louder Than War's Top 100 Albums of 2017.
8. News: Observer readers' hidden musical gems of 2017. The Guardian. 22 December 2017. Kelly. Lauren.
9. Web site: Thin Black Duke AllMusic entry (includes liner notes). allmusic.com. AllMusic. January 17, 2018.
10. Web site: Thin Black Duke Discogs entry (includes liner notes). discogs.com. Discogs. December 24, 2017.