Returning to a more expansive sound akin to that of her earlier releases, she employs a host of stellar guest musicians and more than delivers on that goal, with an album that is richer, fuller and more eclectic than perhaps ever before.
From Jess Gowrie’s (Chelsea Wolfe, Mrs. Piss) sorcerous drum work and the extraordinary guitar playing of Gina Gleason (Baroness) to the mesmeric vocal quality of Amelia Baker (Cinder Well), the album is populated throughout with friends and peers, gifting vitality and vibrancy to an already prismatic body of work.
With one eye on the past and one on the future, Emma evokes the expressive qualities of alternative ‘90s music and grunge, as well as the more existential dimensions of her previous work. Furthermore, the usual hallmarks of her sound are augmented here by an almost spiritual quality, at times both intimate and personal, but looking outward, striving for connection. It is a deeply profound and moving album, and it could well be Rundle’s greatest achievement yet.
“It is a deeply profound and moving album and it could well be Rundle’s greatest achievement yet.”
Past collaborations too appear to have left their mark on Rundle, as you could perhaps draw a clear through-line from her past work with Louisiana sludge-metallers Thou to the arrangements on These Killing Times, not least of all due to the doomy riffs present on songs such as ‘Anvil’ and ‘Human Kindness’.
In stark contrast, songs such as ‘God’s Picture’ and ‘Don’t Delay Heaven’ still capture some of the sparsity and ghostly intimacy that Emma perfected on Engine of Hell. Demonstrating a true mastery of her craft, everything feels more tightly woven, with skill, with love and unbridled purpose.
It’s a fine art balancing those deathly quiet moments with the cacophony of the band at their heaviest, but Rundle proves a deft hand at it, seemingly orchestrating and conducting all of these moving parts. Moments, such as the breathtaking ‘Don’t Delay Heaven’, speak for themselves, but for all the scope and majesty of the songwriting, credit must also be given to Sonny Diperri (My Bloody Valentine, Trent Reznor) for realising these songs and capturing their essence so exquisitely.
“Rundle offers up a glimmer of hope in these dark and uncertain times, and a hopeful solution to that isolation and despair.”
With due consideration for the noteworthy contributions of her collaborators, Emma’s singular voice and bewitching lyricism are the lynchpin around which these various elements revolve. Like grains of sand in a mandala, each individual piece is part of a greater whole, perfectly embodying that sense of community and togetherness that Rundle aspires to. Pushing onwards from the deeply personal Engine Of Hell, These Killing Times offers a glimmer of hope in dark and uncertain times and a hopeful solution to despair. It is a call for solidarity and a defiant statement in the face of calamity.
If Engine of Hell was a secret whispered, then These Killing Times is the sound of Rundle screaming it from the rooftops. You will be hard-pressed to find an album more lovingly, more painstakingly or more spectacularly crafted this year.
A masterpiece from a generational voice.