May Our Chambers Be Full
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
There’s plenty to latch onto, whether it’s the neck-rending riffs, the snarling/soaring vocals or just wanting to vibe out and let the darkness envelope you; it’s a display of artistry, the antithesis of bands who just want to game the Spotify system with two-minute bangers.
90
Neither artist is swamped by the other on any of these songs; instead, they have each successfully tapped in to what makes the other tick, and utilised those signifiers, those identifying sounds, to their fullest possible effect.
90
Thou & Emma Ruth Rundle balance ugliness and beauty, but it’s really the emotional impact that makes May Our Chambers Be Full an indispensable listen.
80
This collaboration sees its principle figures not only bringing their talents to the table, but stepping outside expectation for a surprising push into sonic shape-shifting and a greater melodic good.
80
The whole LP would be a great release for either artist, but it’s the brilliant convergence of sensibilities that sets it apart in the landscape of alternative metal.
80
It’s all pretty heavy stuff, that often veers towards the grungy and heavy psyche end of things, throwing up powerful sonic typhoons that are primal and raw in their intensity, yet occasionally float into the more ethereal before letting rip once again.
80
For all of its epic grandiosity, May Our Chambers Be Full only clocks in at a mere 37 minutes, but in doing so leaves a more indelible impression.
78
May Our Chambers Be Full is that rarest of things – a body of work which combines but does not try to obscure the strong individual artistic voices of the collaborators.
70
Running less than 40 minutes, May Our Chambers Be Full covers a great deal of ground without getting bogged down in any one track.
69
On their collaborative debut, the Louisiana sludge band and the Kentucky songwriter funnel gothic majesty and charred metal into moments of unlikely wonder.
Great themes and vibes, just lacks anything that makes this really stand out. Great mixing on this too.
This is Thou's best album.
This is also Emma Ruth Rundle's best album. Coincidence? I think not!
I absolutely ADORE how the two involved parties brought out the absolute best in each other. This is a beautifully crushing and emotive album and should be considered a benchmark for how a great collaboration should be done.
Also, "The Valley" is a perfect conclusion to May Our Chambers Be Full and is easily one of the top five songs of 2020. Bet.
Top Tracks: Monolith, Ancestral ... read more
Long crashing waves of darkness and wallowing beauty create a sophisticated contrast between clean vocals and atmospheric black metal. The drone line nature of the album makes the back half a bit of a blur. A nice Celtic resolve on the last track gives a bit of the context of shared ground between the artists.
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Track List
| 1 | Killing Floor 6:46 | 100 |
| 2 | Monolith 3:23 | 90 |
| 3 | Out of Existence 3:42 | 90 |
| 4 | Ancestral Recall 3:54 | 90 |
| 5 | Magickal Cost 4:10 | 95 |
| 6 | Into Being 5:16 | 95 |
| 7 | The Valley 8:58 | 100 |
Total Length: 36 minutes
Year End Lists
| #1 | / | Treble |
| #10 | / | Kerrang! |
| #47 | / | Stereogum |
| #70 | / | The Quietus |
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1y
Ok, "The Valley" goes straight into this year's best songs. Can't wait to find a little bit of time and the right mood to listen to the entire record
1y
The collab I never knew I needed but now can hardly live without ~ wake me up when this shit drops.
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Added on: August 20, 2020