Engine of Hell
by Emma Ruth Rundle
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 8, 2021
    100
    It’s another impressive piece of art from the everchanging Emma Ruth Rundle, and the beginning of something entirely different from the wandering artist.
  2. musicOMH.com
    Nov 16, 2021
    90
    On first listen, it seems unfocused, rambling and at times impenetrable, but given time, it unfurls into something utterly compelling and all encompassing. ... It’s a difficult and traumatic journey at times, but it is worth taking.
  3. Under The Radar
    Nov 16, 2021
    80
    It’s not always easy to listen to, but if you have an appetite to be challenged, and choose to join Rundle on this journey of trauma, grief, and transformation, you will find it an incredibly moving and rather beautiful experience.
  5. Mojo
    Nov 8, 2021
    80
    With its poetic allusions to loss and loneliness, will resonate with many who have felt the same. [Dec 2021, p.90]
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  6. Kerrang!
    Nov 8, 2021
    80
    Engine Of Hell is not only a testament to her seemingly endless talent, but an unadulterated glimpse at a human being’s soul.
  7. The Skinny
    Nov 8, 2021
    80
    Sparseness can often lend a chilliness, but Rundle’s work here can be grippingly hot and suffocating – the feeling of air being sucked out of a room – as she recalls past traumas.
  8. Beats Per Minute
    Nov 11, 2021
    78
    Engine of Hell underscores her gifts as a songwriter and for minimalistic arrangement, also illustrating her talent for unadorned performance.
  9. Pitchfork
    Nov 15, 2021
    72
    The raincloud hung heavy over her past four records; on Engine of Hell, it breaks open. The personal tragedies that come pouring out are scarier than any of the grisly apparitions she used to conjure.
  10. AllMusic
    Nov 8, 2021
    70
    Rundle has tempered her sweeping post-rock cinematics with lyrical vulnerability in the past, but Engine of Hell is a braver and bolder beast, as it lays bare the soul of its creator and dares the listener to reckon with it.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Rosenstiel
    Nov 16, 2021
    10
    Anyone who has been lucky enough to see ERR live knows she’s at the peak of her powers in the live acoustic format. So it’s a treat to get aAnyone who has been lucky enough to see ERR live knows she’s at the peak of her powers in the live acoustic format. So it’s a treat to get a live-recorded acoustic album from her, and it fits the subject matter. I agree with others who have said this album grows on you. The first listen was quite challenging, partly because it demands that you digest some very sad lyrics and partly because there are no metal-infused ‘bangers’. However, my appreciation of this beautiful record grows with every listen (I think I must be on about #20 at this point). The soundtrack of my melancholic November.… Full Review »
  2. arostislavna
    Nov 11, 2021
    9
    Hauntingly beautiful, although not to my preference as I enjoy Emma's electric guitarwork more. It is still a fine & cohesive release.
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