Thursday 19 February 2015

Coltsblood - Into The Unfathomable Abyss


Tracklist

1. Valhalla Awaits
2. Beneath Black Skies
3. Blood
4. Abyss Of Aching Insanity
5. Grievous Molestation
6. Ulfeonar
7. Return To The Lake Of Madness

I'm psyching myself up for the pilgrimage to the first edition of "Doom Over Edinburgh" in March and with that in mind, there may well be a lot of doom on the blog between now and then. While Coltsblood aren't appearing at that festival, I decided to raid my review pile to begin the journey and to write about their 2014 full-length. Released on vinyl by Dry Cough Records and Burning World Record, Coltsblood also found themselves being welcomed into the Candlelight Records fold, with whom they released a CD version. They appeared and Candllefest last October and will be heading to Roadburn in April of this year, so things are definitely moving forward (slowly!).

UK doom and doom in general seems to be going through a huge resurgence now (if resurgence is the right word). Coltsblood have contributed to a regional scene that also boasts Crypt Lurker and Ninkharsag, which is ominous to say the least. Into The Unfathomable Abyss is the trio’s first full-length and it’s no wonder that Dry Cough had a hand in it’s release. After the short instrumental Valhalla Awaits, the monumental riff-athon begins with the slow-building tones of Beneath Black Skies. It’s full of bone-rattling bass and tar-like progression. The vocals sit deep within the mix and Coltsblood infuse their doom with atmospherics that take the music to a different plane. Being the first proper long-player on the record, Beneath Black Skies mixes lumbering doom with well-placed grooves to break up the claustrophobic dread that fills the air. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in Voe’s early demo that came out around the same time and I see comparison between that and this record. Surprisingly, Coltsblood interject’s the doom with some absolutely raging shorter-songs like Blood, which is just over two-minutes of utterly crazy death/grind. The feedback that is used throughout Abyss Of Aching Insanity verges on the uncomfortable. It creates a spectacle that should be experience live and it makes the song seem even slower that Beneath Black Skies before it. The songs lowly bass leaves you feeling alone and vulnerable, as you wait to see what’s around the the next turn. It’s as harrowing a picture as the one that humanity paints in these modern times. They up the pace again with the bombastic Grievous Molestation. I used that term because it begins with a flurry of intense instrumentation. This song further shows off Coltsblood’s progressive nature, which isn’t a word you’d often use when describing doom bands. Progress though they do and Grievous Molestation moves through many different movements, from their signature lurching doom to more of the death/grind that featured on Blood. There’s a mysteriously tribal vibe to the into of Ulfeonar and it soon becomes clear that the song is Coltsblood’s occult offering. The occult influence is subtle and those of you who have managed to stay the course, will face the reward of more face-crushingly intense doom/death. Coltsblood end it all with the majestic yet brooding melody of Return To The Lake Of Madness. Just like opener Valhalla Awaits, Return To The Lake Of Madness is an instrumental. The lead-guitar tones ring above all else, giving listeners a fleeting glimpse of sunshine through the gloom. It’s those small pockets of light that make Into The Unfathomable Abyss such a gratifying listen.

Listen to the whole record here:-



Vinyl versions of Into The Unfathomable Abyss can be purchased from Dry Cough Records and Burning World Records below:-

Dry Cough Records - http://drycoughrecords.bigcartel.com
Burning World Records - http://burningworldrecords.com

CD copies are still available from Candlelight Records here - http://www.plastichead.com/catalogue
and from Coltsblood themselves here - https://coltsblood.bandcamp.com

Coltsblood Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Coltsblood
Dry Cough Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords
Burning World Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/burningworldrecords
Candlelight Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/candlelightrecords

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