The continuous evolutionary flux of Emma Ruth Rundle has been fascinating to follow and listen to – from her time in Marriages, to her solo material and collaborations with Chelsea Wolfe and Thou, she is always pushing sonic boundaries, revealing yet another dimension to an already eclectic pool of influence. 2018’s ‘On Dark Horses’ seems like a distant memory when presented with third full length ‘Engine of Hell’ – stripped down to its bare minimum, it’s a simplistic combination of Emma’s emotive vocals while a singular instrumental accompaniment alternates between either a piano or an acoustic guitar.
The lyrical content of each song is feels incredibly raw and personal, made all the more powerful by the sparsity they’re delivered with. Songs such as ‘Blooms of Oblivion’ pluck harshly at heart strings with mentions of “fistfuls of sorrys that you’ll never say”. There is sense that you’ve been holding your breath for the entire duration of this record; the moment it draws to a close its feels like something heavy has been lifted – further testament to just how impactful this opus truly is.
Emma Ruth Rundle is genuinely a gifted talent – her prowess as both a singer and songwriter is brought right to the fore with ‘Engine of Hell’. The ability to be so sparing with instruments and effects yet still wield emotion with such devastating force is truly impressive. A soul baring and utterly captivating work of art – some of Emma’s best work yet.
(10/10 Angela Davey)
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