Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou

[The Mollusk]

I mentioned this collaboration in the 2021 metal thread but it's so flipping good that it deserves wider recognition/discussion.

Highly prolific sludge/doom metal band Thou and experimental folk artist Emma Ruth Rundle released one LP and one EP in late 2020/early 2021 respectively. Thou stated that the main influence on the project has been the '90s Seattle grunge scene, which is highly apparent in their sound here despite them also combining their hallmark crushing dense riffs with Rundle's warm reverie of vocal talent. Ethereal post-grunge steamrollered into a thick, swampy crawl. Imagine if Cocteau Twins made a metal album.

Thou have allowed themselves to soften up for this project and Rundle conversely is in heavier territory, but the meeting point of the two is really stunning and well-realised, and surprisingly poppy in places. An obvious point of comparison would be Deftones (fans of their later years stuff will surely enjoy this), and the closing track on the EP is a Cranberries cover.

I think that this project is quite deceptively simplistic but it just hits all the right notes at the right moments, and despite the heavy bits overall the music seems to swoop over you like a blanket of warm light, cleansing, otherworldly and beautiful. There are other current artists who've achieved similar results of a simplistic musical style which is powerful and crawls into your head and refuses to leave - Cate Le Bon and Aldous Harding, without a doubt - and this collaboration is up there with the best of 'em. So grateful that music like this exists in 2021 and instead of being derivative it stands out as bold and brilliant.

Killing Floor

The Valley

[The Mollusk]

Bumping this in case it got missed

[Dirty Boy]

I saw it, but couldn't think of anything to say, sorry.... er, i liked the album, not got into the ep yet.

Thinking of giving the Thou covers album a go if that's any good? (the one with Shellac and Sabbath tunes and that).

[The Mollusk]

I saw it, but couldn't think of anything to say, sorry.... er, i liked the album, not got into the ep yet.

Thinking of giving the Thou covers album a go if that's any good? (the one with Shellac and Sabbath tunes and that).

No worries! Trying to reign in my emotional dysregulation a bit, which can be bad on CaB as I struggle lots with "no replies, no one cares, why doesn't anyone appreciate this as much as I do" and failing to see all the factors and reasons as to exactly why people don't respond (which in most cases is that they found the music fine but didn't feel that reaction was worthy of a reply). So I give the threads a cheeky bump just in case, and try to get out of my own head.

Anyway, I do like their cover versions but I mean... they're a sludge/doom band covering hard rock songs, they're not exactly reinventing the wheel. Often times it's just MORE DISTORTION, MORE SCREAMING. They're good fun and it certainly works to great effect in a live setting but on the whole I don't believe there's much point covering a song if you're just turning the volume up instead of altering it in more inventive ways. One or two here and there is fine but they've done fucking heaps of them now!

[Goldentony]

the covers are a bit like when Snuff just turned into a theme tune jukebox but if they keep putting out records like this it wont really matter, great band

[Dirty Boy]

Alright, I'll put it in the bin then.

[Goldentony]

as I recall the covers of 4th Of July and Terrible Lie are great, thought the Shellac one was bobbins

[easytarget]

This is very good. More please ERR/Thou

[bomb_dog]

Thou's Nirvana cover album is good fun. First time I'd listened to most of those Nirvana songs in probably 15 years, but they're still good.

[jobotic]

Was it them that did a heavy as fuck cover of Sweet Leaf? It was great.

[Goldentony]

Not heard that but always seemed pointless trying to do anything with Sweet Leaf after the Butthole Surfers

[jobotic]

Yeah you're right but it's still good

I heard Sweat Loaf before Sweet Leaf.

[Goldentony]

id do the right thing if I was Ozzy and make the Sweat Loaf intro canonical to the original

[Shaky]

I love the fact Thou are unashamed Nirvana fans, and that covers album is really ace. Totally highlights how good the songs were/are. In this case, more sludge/more screaming works fantastically.

[The Mollusk]

I love the fact Thou are unashamed Nirvana fans, and that covers album is really ace. Totally highlights how good the songs were/are. In this case, more sludge/more screaming works fantastically.

You should cop the ERR collabs if you dig the grunge stuff my man!

[Shaky]

You should cop the ERR collabs if you dig the grunge stuff my man!

Yeah, heard it and really love it. Thou's Rhea Sylvia EP is grunge-tastic as well.

First new-ish metal band I've been really excited about in ages! Sheer class, these chaps are.

[Swoz_MK]

Don't think I've liked any ERR after Some Heavy Ocean. Thou are alright, prolific at least. Some great insight from me, there.