Coffinworm - When All Became None

Heavy metal was essentially built upon the notion that "evil sells". Satan, the occult, rape, murder, necrophilia, cannibalism, etc. were all lyrical propaganda initially used to sell records while speed, discordance, technicality and simple brutality upped the "evil quotient" in the instrumental department. Bands continue to engage in this irritating battle of one-upsmanship by trying to touch on whatever taboos remain while trying to play tighter and faster than their counterparts. It's all rather commonplace after decades of rehashing and desensitization, and it's not often that the music is genuinely evil. But Indianapolis's Coffinworm is about as close to truly fucking evil as I've heard lately. They have a style that's ugly and deliberate, and they've delivered a first impression I won't soon forget.

When All Become None is a debut that's equal parts violence and uneasiness. "Black doom metal" is the tag most often used in connection with the band, and it's a term that effectively identifies the two camps they largely resides in, yet it doesn't quite paint the whole picture. Coffinworm definitely combines the best qualities of black metal: riffs and atmosphere, with the sluggish tempos and occasional heft of doom metal. But they also infuse sludge-y, smoked-out leads and a crust-y corrosiveness to their toxic brand of metal. "Spitting In Infinity's Asshole" - easily the best song title I've heard all year - has a dark and despondent psychedelia to it, like your worst LSD trip, while "High On The Reek Of Your Burning Remains" has a brief, hardcore breakdown that plays up its crust-y undertones. It's a mix of styles that's executed so fluidly and so organically (in an evil, channeling-Lucifer-himself kind of way) that you couldn't "try" to write this type of material. It either has to come out or it doesn't at all,

But I'm most impressed by the fact that Coffinworm isn't afraid to let their filth fester. Riffs are drenched in feedback. Masochistic screeches stab your ears. Songs like "Strip Nude For Your Killer" and "The Satanic Rites Of Count Tabernacula” toil to the brink of madness. And each layer of pain makes the album all the better. Sanford Parker needs serious recognition for his work on this album, as this is probably his most savage job to date (I now have high expectations for his involvement with Wolvhammer). His production strikes a perfect balance between the instruments and has a wonderfully cavernous sound that spares absolutely nothing in viciousness. All of you degenerate fucks out there that need a soundtrack to your life won't do any better this year, as Coffinworm's When All Become None is like a snuff film: its enjoyment lies in its deprivation.

Top 5 album for sure.

July 23, 2010

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