Khemmis have unveiled their new single and music video “Gilded Chambers,” a dark and heavy track that leans into the band’s dramatic doom metal sound.
On “Gilded Chambers,” Khemmis uses desert, religious and death-like imagery to tell a story about temptation, suffering and being trapped by something that looks beautiful but is slowly destroying the person. The lyrics suggest that the speaker is being pulled back again and again by someone or something that brings relief, but also drains his life. The video itself features the band performing the track with high intensity, as dark clothing, heavy guitars and pounding drums add to the song’s feeling of ritual, doom and emotional destruction.
The song’s title also points to this tension, because “gilded” can mean something that looks rich or beautiful on the outside while hiding something darker underneath. Throughout the track, Khemmis connects that idea to images of rubies, wine, temples, vultures and forgotten bones. This makes “Gilded Chambers” feel like a song about a place of comfort that has become a place of decay.
The repeated line about being “dragged behind what binds us” gives the song its emotional center, as the speaker sounds caught between wanting redemption and being unable to escape the thing that controls him. The lyrics also describe a force that is “siphoning” his “dying life,” making the track feel like it is about addiction, guilt, spiritual exhaustion or a destructive relationship.
According to mxdwn, Khemmis, through guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson, is connected to the wider metal community and willing to take part in playful, humorous projects outside of the band’s usual serious doom/heavy metal image. His appearance in the Two Minutes To Late Night cover shows that Khemmis can fit into a fun, holiday-themed collaboration while still bringing strong guitar work and metal credibility to the performance.
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