This week we're diving into the wonderfully gloomy world of Emma Ruth Rundle. Or more specifically, we're having a bit of a discussion whether she's actually goth or not, what goth even means, and how it may be broader than some think. Musically, Chris thinks most of her catalogue is a bit pants but she has artistic integreity. Mark reckons she's brilliant.

Emma Ruth Rundle has spent her career shape-shifting between projects like some sort of musical chameleon with commitment issues. From her early folk-gaze days with The Nocturnes to her brief stint with post-rock titans Red Sparrows. From the overlooked Marriages project to her increasingly experimental solo work. She's never been one to stay in her lane. The question is: does all this reinvention actually work, or is it just restless artist syndrome?

We get deep into the weeds of her entire discography. Our main focus is 2016's "Marked for Death", which Mark insists is her masterpiece and Chris... well, Chris has opinions. We also tackle the thorny question of what actually constitutes "goth" in 2025. Spoiler: it's probably not what you think. Plus we discuss her genuinely unnerving experimental albums. And try to work out why Sargent House thought it was a good idea to send a recovering alcoholic to record alone in the desert. With unlimited booze.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Introduction and Studio Setup at Variety Bar
• 05:21 The Great Goth Debate Begins
• 18:45 Emma Ruth Rundle's Project History
• 32:48 Electric Guitar One: Ambient Experiments
• 39:00 Some Heavy Ocean: The Proper Debut
• 44:14 On Dark Horses: Chris's Least Favourite
• 52:26 The Thou Collaboration: Overrated or Underrated?
• 59:48 Engine of Hell: Stripped Back and Boring?
• 1:04:06 Electric Guitar Two: Pure Horror Movie Soundtrack
• 1:13:28 Marked for Death: The Desert Sessions
• 1:26:00 Final Verdicts and Wrap-Up

This week we're talking about the Leeds band Vessels. Or more specifically we're talking about their quite abrupt change from identikit post rock band to something a lot more electronic and a lot more enticing.

By their own admission, Vessels had something of a problem: the band had to evolve or die. They were trapped making the same post rock songs as everyone else, using the same delay pedals, creating the same "emotional" buildups that made grown men in plaid shirts cry. So they did something radical: they put down their guitars and picked up synthesisers.

The result was Dilate, an album that lost them some fans but gained them something more valuable - an actual identity. In this episode, we not only get into the weeds of their discography (as we always do), but we also talk about post rock generally, as well as the band's history, their decision to turn to live electronic, how much of a nightmare that actually can be to pull off live, the influence that Berlin clubs had on their new direction, and so much more.

Episode highlights:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Setup
02:24 Introducing the Band: Vessels
03:57 Exploring Vessels' Evolution
07:26 The Post-Rock Genre and Vessels' Place in It
25:16 Vessels' Early Work and Initial Reception
37:41 Analysing the Last Third of the Album
38:06 Songwriting Evolution and Structural Ambitions
38:48 Drummers and Instrumentation
39:59 Remixes and Bonus Albums
40:29 Glastonbury and the Inflection Point
41:02 Transition to Electronic Music
41:46 Reflecting on the Change of Direction
44:56 The Great Distraction Album
45:19 Challenges of Remote Collaboration
47:39 Vocal Contributions and Collaborations
54:19 Dilate Album Review
01:08:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This week Dave returns as we dive into our bag of covermount CDs and unearth a real gem.

Casey wasn't messing about. He whittled down his selection from 60 songs, phoned Henry Rollins and Satyr personally for unreleased tracks, and designed the cover himself. The result was 26 tracks of whiplash-inducing genius that introduced countless metal and punk fans to bands they'd never have discovered otherwise. From Refused's "New Noise" and Iron Monkey's feral sludge to birthday party's pre-Bad Seeds insanity and proper OG punk from Discharge and X-Ray Specs, this was cultural education disguised as a free CD. The fact we're still dissecting every track choice 20+ years later proves Casey achieved something genuinely special - a compilation that worked as both a history lesson and a challenge to dig deeper into the underground.

• [00:00:00] Welcome to the cave: Easter resurrections and new studio vibes
• [00:05:39] Casey Chaos biography: From skateboard prodigy to punk legend
• [00:18:00] Rollins Band gets the pub rock treatment (Chris ducks for cover)
• [00:24:00] The Kinison: When Oblong, Illinois meets post-hardcore
• [00:29:00] Murderdolls: Budget Misfits for the nu-metal generation
• [00:32:00] Discharge delivers the D-beat masterclass
• [00:43:00] Iron Monkey: Nottingham sludge at its most feral
• [00:37:00] Refused drops "New Noise" and changes everything
• [00:42:00] Turbonegro: Norwegian glam-punk that divides the room
• [00:43:00] Void: The DC hardcore deep cut that finally clicks
• [00:46:00] Immortal: When black metal meets the Tony Hawk soundtrack
• [00:51:00] X-Ray Specs: Polystyrene schools the youngsters
• [00:56:00] Zyklon: Emperor side-project with uncomfortable baggage
• [01:02:00] Cave In: The wrong track for the right band
• [01:04:00] Birthday Party: Nick Cave's mental early years get the respect they deserve
• [01:06:00] Nasum: Swedish grindcore brings back the brutality
• [01:07:00] The Distillers: Brody Dalle's voice cuts through everything
• [01:13:00] Eyehategod vs Iron Monkey: The great sludge debate
• [01:14:00] Division of Laura Lee: Sweden's most forgettable export
• [01:15:00] The Haunted: At The Gates members go full throttle
• [01:17:00] Mortiis: Norwegian dungeon synth gets the goth treatment
• [01:20:00] Gary Numan: The robot pioneer closes out the education
• [01:22:00] Highlights, lowlights, and wild cards: The final verdict