10/27/13

Coffins - 2013 - The Fleshland (Review)


Coffins have been punishing our eardrums with the poisonous mixture of sludge/death/ doom/crust for as much as 17 years, having released 4 LPs and a decent mount of splits and EP’s. The Fleshsland is the band’s first full-length effort over the last five years, and it was definitely worth the wait. Disgorging extremely slow, down tuned to ferocious degree and blatantly sick death doom occasionally boosted by thick sludge riffs, Japanese quartet have been providing source of inspiration for a plethora of new bands, including highly-acclaimed formations like Electrozombies and Freakhate. It seems their writing process is about as slow as their music as the band has not been very prodigal of full-length stuff over the last years, but what the band stresses is quality over quantity in an era where recording an album can easily be done at home.
Here comes perdition “ starts the album from a slow note, evoking the atmosphere of dilapidated asylum infested with hellish abominations ready to consume everyone reckless enough to dare venture into such place. The track starts with a heavy crawl, slowly evolving into mid paced monstrosity and perfectly incorporating all elements what the band has been so favored throughout its existence. A slow solo breaks the party closer towards the end of the song, however fades quickly giving the driver seat to the sick riff fest. This pace transitions well into the neck-wrecker ‘Hellbringer’, which demonstrates the band’s capacity to incorporate curst punk elements into their vibes.
Where Coffins truly excel is when they trudge through songs at a grueling mid-tempo march. ‘The Vacant Pale Vessel’ is the highlight of the Japanese quartet’s fourth album. Guitarist Uchino often forgoes any lead playing, but textures the pummeling sludge with simple, yet effective leads to accent the unforgettable riffing here. The solo section in this death/doom rocker is bluesy, showing that not everything about this band is ugly and gritty.



Much has changed in the band since the release of Buried death. Fleshland marks the first appearance of the group as a foursome. Ryo had been handling the drums since 2010, but has abandoned this position taking center stage as a front man. His guttural approach is a welcome shift from the Uchino’s more yelping style, who in turn had retired from the double responsibility of a frontman/axeman continuing to wield guitar with even more efficiency.

In terms of production, Flesh land is the pinnacle of excellence beyond any reasonable doubt. Maintaining crystal clear sound but yet retaining the rawness/ basement touch is how I can describe what I have heard here. The drums no longer sound like digital samples and the cymbals resonate well and perfectly squeeze through the massive wall of sound erected by other instruments.
To sum everything up, I do believe that I have just listened to the best material the bands have produced so far. Retaining the face of their own by making no alterations to their sick style, the band continues to be the in forefront of Japanese metal scene. Unwavering, the four have merely set out to write a better batch of songs each time they hit the studio and nailed it once again. One of Japan’s greatest extreme metal exports are a prime example of how time makes perfect.
P:S .First person survival horror Outlast has just hit the shelves, but has already gained enormous following worldwide with some gamers describing the game “As the scariest game ever”. Taking the role of investigative journalist, you venture into abandoned mental Asylum to check the strange happenings their. Abandoning Lovecraftian dread and zombie/ghouls themes, the game shows how well the relatively mundane beings can scare the shit out of you It doesn’t shame to see you crawl through the wall full of shit in an attempt to escape hulking behemoth , gladly showcases scenes of ultimate gore and sickness however retains constant suspense and unpredictability. But all this does not matter as much as how well the Coffin’s last offering fits well into the style of the game: mental asylum, perverted psychiatric organization, piles of shit and gore and sense of complete helplessness and impending doom- these are the best words to describe what you will see in the game. All this is stuffed with immerse brutality and immeasurable cruelty
Listening to Fleshland is highly recommended in order to fully submerge into the game. ))

(Review by Den)

 

No comments:

Post a Comment