Two years ago a collaboration between Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou would have seemed unthinkable; the soft, ethereal darkness of Emma’s gentle chords and clean singing the polar opposite of Thou’s brash, sludge-tinged brutality. However, at Roadburn 2019 this exact pairing became a reality and it all clicked into place – these otherwise opposite ends of the musical spectrum fit together like missing puzzle pieces and it called into question why this wasn’t something that had happened long ago. Since then a collaborative album has been inevitable and since its announcement the excitement amongst their collective fans has been more than palpable, and rightly so.
‘May Our Chambers Be Full’ is a musical triumph, the juxtaposition between light and dark batters the senses as it uplifts them, creating a feeling of dreamy hopefulness that’s oddly complemented by the passages that are brooding and rage-filled. Emma’s ethereal voice lends a haunting quality to the songs where she reigns dominant (‘The Valley’) and Bryan Funck’s hateful shrieks are crushing and sinister on the likes of ‘Out of Existence’, however, it’s when their voices join together (‘Killing Floor) that they truly shine – while the instrumental contributions from both sides are impressive, on this record it’s the dual vocals that do most of the heavy lifting. Stand-out track ‘Monolith’ grinds along with bouncy guitars, while a further vocal element of Thou bassist KC is added, their 90s grunge-tinged voice takes the lead as Bryan’s screams and Emma’s silkier voice are placed lower in the mix at almost a whisper.
Chilling and beautiful, ERR and Thou’s partnering has certainly been a fruitful one. Not only do the respective acts complement each other’s musical styles, they expose the listener to sides of each other stylistically that listeners may not previously have been aware of. For Thou, they take on the ability to remove their foot from the gas pedal and create an atmospheric soundscape. For Emma, she is louder, bolder and less inhibited. Simply wonderful, ‘May Our Chambers Be Full’ is a beacon of light that has been delivered at a time when it could not be more needed.
(10/10 Angela Davey)
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