ALBUM REVIEW: Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession

Scottish old school Death Metal mob COFFIN MULCH deliver their debut full length via Memento Mori, At War With False Noise, Dry Cough Records and Gurgling Gore on June 30th.

Whammy noise and screaming begin the record with a disquieting feeling before we plunge headlong into certain death. That familiar buzzsaw tone from the HM-2 pedal presents grisly riffs churned atop d-beats with a gloriously thick and crushing mix to deliver the brutality. The insanely contagious hooks are met with visceral vocals, a fetid soundscape of total desecration from the onset. Blasting drums and tremolo riffs give a bit more cavernous decay to the sound while the punky aggression is never far away, nor the doom-laded moments which harken back to records like “Mental Funeral” and “Last One On Earth” but with Coffin Mulch throwing huge amounts of Swedish influence into the fold. Everything about this record screams old school Death Metal of high caliber from the start. But we are only just getting warmed up…

Continuing, the savage auditory desecration does not relent. Those gloomier moments barrel into pure ferocity with a naturally rotten feel to all elements of the bands sound. The dynamics of this record are an impressive mix varying in tempo and feel, from the eldritch doom to grinding hellfire and all in between. Coffin Mulch seem to endlessly shift but in a way that allows each moment to have its glory but then not rest on their laurels for too long. This restless pace keeps the record gripping and exciting yet thankfully their masterful execution ensures none of these changes are jarring. Solos are minimal, often whammy gives and shorter licks but add a nice flavour to the rhythmic pulverisation. Getting more into the gooey sepulchral centre and the record holds up equally strong.

The punishing array of visceral extremity does not relent with so much intensity and some really weird riffs (such as the Demilich-esque latter part in “Gateway to the Unseen”) firing on all cylinders until the very end. This album is not one that becomes tiresome, instead injecting another dose of adrenaline to keep you salivating for sadistic soundscapes for the full running time, which while short packs so much excellence into its 31 minutes. The Scottish maniacs have definitely not let down those eagerly awaiting their underground artillery in full length form, giving us boundless rancidity to play again and again. Additionally, they are absolutely insane live, so if you get a chance to attend a show and support them in the flesh, do so!

As a fan of the “Septic Funeral” EP, I am glad to hear Coffin Mulch present a follow up, in the form of a truly crushing debut album. While the EP was better in my opinion, “Spectral Intercession” is remorseless, putrid death metal that combines Autopsy, Dismember, Asphyx and Entombed then gives us its rotten afterbirth. Prepare for eternal enslavement to the true underground spirit, join Coffin Mulch on their latest conquest into the catacombs and blast this thing as loud as possible.