One of the coolest musical side projects from last year has carried over into 2021 and started the year right.
On the heels of their full-length collaboration May Our Chambers Be Full, Thou and Emma Ruth Rundle (appearing courtesy of Sargent House) have just released their companion EP, The Helm of Sorrow, which includes several b-sides from the collaborative project, as well as the cover of The Cranberries classic “Hollywood”.
The four songs that make up The Helm of Sorrow were included in the diehard edition of the must-listen May Our Chambers Be Full.
“It’s an easy marriage of our styles that was truly enhanced by everyone’s input during the arrangement process,” Thou guitarist Andy Gibbs explained when initially announced. “When I first wrote the main two riffs (the first one being an homage to A Perfect Circle’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’), I didn’t know if it would fit with the vibe we were pursuing because it didn’t sound “Thou-y” enough nor did it sound like something Emma would normally put on a record. Ultimately, I realized how important that trait is; this record is all about exploring territory we wouldn’t usually explore with our own records.”
“Andy originally wrote the riffs and I believe I referred to it as the ‘Guitar Hero’ jam — it was hard for me to keep up and I felt like I was doing an obstacle course (in the best way),” added Emma Ruth Rundle. “Because of the differences in our guitar tunings, it was difficult for me to match the rest exactly and I ended up coming with a single note passage to play over the most difficult section. For me this was a good example of the collaboration and that I was able to express my style despite my limitations in a way that added to Andy’s riff. Working with him on guitars was a challenge, but most rewarding, and I feel proud of our child.”
Both albums are streaming everywhere and for purchase at Sacred Bones. Here’s a taste in the form of the previously-released music for video for “Elysian Fields”, directed by Mitch Wells.
