ALBUM REVIEW: Coscradh – Carving The Causeway To The Otherworld

Having touched on a mysterious second album in our recent interview, Irish black / death metal force Coscradh have now announced this mighty opus. Set for release via 20 Buck Spin on February 20th.

Ominous ambience begins the record with a tension that I am certain will be upheld. The bands previous album “Nahanagan Stadial” is one of my favourite extreme metal discoveries of recent years and they make for an equally terrifying live force. As the churning disquiet of the guitars come into play alongside punishingly booming drums; the nightmarish quality of their music is familiarly anxiety-inducing. Otherworldly vocals spew profane incantations as convulsing instrumentals torment your very being with a blackened death metal concoction festering in darkness and piercing with dissonance. The serpentining fluidity of the bass wraps itself around savagely executed riffing with sadistically intense drums hammering with varied and intricate performances all around. The monstrous and inhuman vocals perfectly sit in the mix (handled by Shauny Cads) which is gorgeously balanced to envelope you in total pitch black. Dan Lowndes of Cruciamentum infamy mastered this record to further increase its impact sonically. Finally Stefan Todorovic handled the supreme cover artwork, which is as strikingly magnificent as the music within. Back to the music and those slower crawling passages of guitars with massive drum fills, a feature I loved on the debut record, are back with those same anguished howls. These moments of despair often give way to blistering sadism and a moment of mania – destroying all with totally visceral celestial chaos.

When a record is produced in such a way that it presents every facet of the performance so gloriously and clearly; you can only deduce that its inhospitable nature is due to the music itself being utterly petrifying. This is a challenging album, a challenging band and one that I think might really put off a lot of casual black and death metal fans for bending the conventions and converging on this point of their own unique identity that will simply scare many off. That’s what I love about Coscradh, it’s authentically dark and dangerous while holding the metallic power that is essential to a release like this to resonate with me. Ireland is a land with a rich, bloody and ancient history that is mysterious and alluring – perfect to stoke the fires of hell on a sanguineous record such as this. The name Coscradh – translated to “triumph in slaughter” is as much of an indication to the music as a name can possibly give. Inspired by travels through the country and learning of druidic wisdom clearly provides a well of inspiration as does the palpably violent context of these settings. From the roaring menace of those continuously engaging vocals to the lucid corporeal punishment of the ferocious guitar and bass work, everything retains that expansive and boundless extremity that this entity delivers so wickedly. Having a drummer that is actually interesting also helps. Seriously, the variation in all of the instruments is insane. Around halfway we are marked with “The Calling” an eerie interlude that ties the a and b sides together.

Unshackled, this album has a tendency to create an atmosphere or mood and then fly off the handle with rumbling bass contortions and whammy dives to frenetically spasm into wild new sections. There is also some really cool use of various effects, most notably on the guitars, which is reminiscent of Morbid Angel and a touch that just gives yet another texture to this volatile distillation of sounds. Despite such huge diversity in ideas, everything flows coherently; the band simply do not box themselves in. Trudging through bloodied soil, scything the lands and evoking archaic sorcery; Coscradh have something powerful here and something that will reward you time and time again with repeated listens. This is a special record to devote your attention to as so much happens that you will not want to miss. Every maniacal second will flood you with adrenaline from anxiety, blood thirst, fury or sheer curiosity. Stringing arcane songs together so potently, this dominating set of eight tracks will often have you holding your breath and yet dying to hear more. Creeping, crawling and getting under your skin until the very end; this is a record that will stick with you. This haunting atmosphere cloaking you along with the ghoulish music is addictive and I can guarantee that those who it has spoken to will return to listen to it many more times as I shall.

A ravenous void of supreme black / death metal, everything I had hoped from the band releasing a second album and much more. Their technique and abilities have pushed into new territory and yet the signature malice of their prior works is abundantly present too. A bold step forward while keeping their roots inarguably honoured, daring to tread new ground and unleashing a magnificent beast of a record as a result. Much like its predecessor, there is a character to this album all of its own and the band do not falter in conjuring a unique and relentless atmosphere of restless spirits. Merging the ritualistic echoes of folklore with the anguish, suffering, rage and uncertainty time bestows upon us; this is extreme in so many senses. From the charnel pits to the outer reaches of astrological sight, this is a morbid hecatomb that invokes archaic druidic wisdom and the ancient language they spake. Do not miss this behemoth of blackened death metal majesty that goes to darker territories thematically and sonically than most would dare…

Pick up the new 7th issue of Shrieks From The Abyss fanzine here to read my interview with Coscradh the old school way!