Obnoxious Concoction - Obnoxious Concoction

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats:Tape/Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Painkiller's Steel Chariot

2. The Vampire

3. Dredd Avenging Battalions of 2025 AD

4. Orkish Apotheosis

5. Rangifer Tarandus Disembowelment

6. Carboniferous Copacabana

7. Rage of Augment

It's almost August, like how has that happened! Time bloody flies and bands pop up overnight. Leeds-based death metal band Obnoxious Concoction released their debut self-titled EP in February via Dry Cough Records on full-body printed tapes (yes, I know I'm very late with this review). The quartet features members from Mortuary Spawn, Tormented Imp, Gorgon Vomit and Nepalese death metallers Animality.

This EP is a fast one, so if you haven’t already heard it, prepare yourselves. Opening with ‘Painkiller’s Steel Chariot’, the riffs are the first to hit you as they pave the way for blasting yet technical death-grind and properly ferocious vocals. This is insane from every angle already. ’The Vampire’ flails with subtle thrash metal tendencies, but stomping death metal isn’t far away. It fills the mid-section before the pace goes all the way up. 

Not being too serious is a good trait for any extreme metal band, which usually manifests itself in song-titles. ‘Dredd Avenging Battalions of 2025 AD’ is a fine example as Obnoxious Concoction mix their finest ingredients to produce a blistering recipe of extremity. ‘Orkish Apotheosis’ is both the EP’s mid-way point and also it’s shortest song, picking up where the previous song left off. Much more grind-heavy thanks to the percussion (maybe a hint of powerviolence in there too), while the guitars/vocals add so much heft and vibrancy (if that’s the right descriptor).

I had no idea but apparently Rangifer Tarandus is the scientific name from Reindeer or Caribou. I had to look it up because of ‘Rangifer Tarandus Disembowelment’, which follows. I’m guessing that Obnoxious Concoction don’t approve of animal cruelty so the song-title probably refers to somebody being disembowelled by a Reindeer. As violent an image as that is, it pretty much matches the tone of the song. You’ll understand why when you hear it (if you haven’t already!). I’ve also gotta call out the sick guitar soloing towards the end.

Moving onto the EP’s penultimate song and only example of alliteration ‘Carboniferous Copacabana’; after an initial bar or two of old-school death metal riffs, Obnoxious Concoction explode once again into technical, uptempo grinding death, complete with added grooves. Without any pause at all, you’re slung headfirst into final song ‘Rage of Augment’. It’s the cherry on top of what is a ridiculously good EP from another brilliant UK band.

Obnoxious Concoction seem to have already found a formula that sounds pretty much complete, which is no surprise really given their collective experience. You’ve got another reason to deep dive into UK death metal now.

You can stream the EP digitally and grab it as a name-your-price download from Obnoxious Concoction below:-

I picked up a tape copy as soon as it went on sale; however, 1 copy remains for sale via Dry Cough's bandcamp page here - https://drycough.bandcamp.com/album/obnoxious-concoction. Sell this MF out!

Obnoxious Concoction Instagram - @obnoxiousconcoction

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Dromos - Dromos

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Dec 2024

Tracklist: 

1. Caveat Emptor

2. Memorial Moss

December last year saw the release of the debut EP from UK funeral doom band Dromos, via Dry Cough Records. Dromos is made up of four experienced musicians with international roots, plying their trade in a corner of the doom metal genre that's synonymous with the UK while also being underrepresented in favour of other forms of extreme music. As festival season kicks off, don't forgot that darker/colder nights are approaching and with them come the likes of Dromos.

This self-titled EP features two songs, one of which is an instrumental. ‘Caveat Emptor’ opens in slow-building fashion with low riffs, feedback, down-tempo percussion and deep vocal bellows. All of those ingredients form the basis for Dromos and their funeral doom, but there’s more to their sound than that. Clean (almost chant-like) vocals present themselves alongside the subtle murmuring of death metal’s influence. Those more up-tempo moments reveal more about their individual experience as musicians but as we know, music constantly shifts, moving in cycles. 

If we didn’t have those shifts and cycles, musicians would just stay in their lane, forever producing the same thing (I could name a few very established bands doing that to this day). Doing so doesn’t harbour creativity and variation though, which is why listening to Dromos excites me as instrumental closer ‘Memorial Moss’ weaves a melodic path through acrid darkness. It’s sound is full of warmth and filled with old-school textures,  though those aforementioned textures are reimagined, not rehashed.

As a debut this EP is outstanding. It’s always great to hear a new band hitting the ground running (or more appropriately, crawling), even if it’s made up of experienced hands. I’m looking forward to what may come from Dromos in the future.

You can stream and purchase the EP digitally below:-

Tape copies can be purchased from Dry Cough Records here - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/dromos-dromos-cassette

Dromos - https://www.facebook.com/dromosdoom

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Mutagenic Host - The Diseased Machine

Labels: Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori/Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Neurological Necrosis

2. Genestealer

3. The Twisted Helix

4. Artificial Harvest of the Obscene

5. Organometallic Assimilation

6. DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]

7. Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter

8. S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)

9. Promethean Dusk

10. Rivers Of Grief

As the world was stumbling bleary-eyed into 2025, London death metallers Mutagenic Host unleashed their debut full-length The Diseased Machine. It arrived almost two years on from their first recording The Genotoxic Demo, which was released via Dry Cough Records. Dry Cough worked alongside Gurgling Gore to release this album on both tape and vinyl, while Memento Mori Records committed it to CD and Mutagenic Host self-released it digitally. Little did they know at the time just how crazy the world would get!

Being one of the newest additions to the UK death metal ranks, Mutagenic Host have garnered quite a lot of excitement with their approach to the genre. ‘Neurological Necrosis’ shows why with it’s heavy percussion/bass, core-laden riffs and blood curdling deep bellows. ‘Genestealer’ doffs it’s hat to slam with it’s riffs but fear not, this song is still firmly rooted in the old-school death metal camp. Who says that bands can’t do both, right?

The sinister guitar melodies and tempos that open ‘The Twisted Helix’ soon give way to reveal a careening, thrash-like verse. Soon after, the instrumentation slows back down for the chorus once again, dragging the vocals down too before a brilliant solo seamlessly seeps into the song’s latter half. Ultimately, what’s offered here is extreme song-writing and musical delivery at it’s best. ‘Artificial Harvest of the Obscene’ delivers a number filled with metallic dissonance and perfect momentum. Coupled with another great lead-guitar solo and extra atmospherics (mainly due to ambient sounds and samples), Mutagenic Host lay their marker down early.

‘Organometallic Assimilation’ marks the near-midway point in the album and it’s where the superior drum production comes to the fore. Honestly, it boosts the song over and above what has come before it (to my ears anyway), not that the song’s other components don’t of course. It just hits differently because of the percussion. As is the norm now, interludes are a popular way of building anticipation and atmosphere, and ‘DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]’ is one of the better examples I’ve heard for a long time.

If this write-up seems slightly disjointed it’s because I racked up 13 hours in my day job on Tuesday, followed by normal 8 hour shifts yesterday and today. I know that’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things but it’s enough to leave me feeling a bit wiped out (especially with a new work I.T. toy to keep my brain stimulated). Maybe it’s slightly ironic that the next song is called ‘Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter’ then. The glorious intro led by both bass and percussion leads to a doom/death-inspired monolith. Okay, it’s more OSDM than doom/death but it still hits the same.

The drumming throughout The Diseased Machine sounds massive, but it sounds even more so on ’S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)’. Said drumming also makes the rest of the band rise up to the same level too. For a song so late on in the album to still sound so focused and intense is a joy (if that’s the right word!). Penultimate song ‘Promethean Dusk’ draws from the slam influence again, even if subtly. Mutagenic Host do a great job of settling the slam down alongside both traditional and brutal death metal. 

Closing with the album’s longest song ‘Rivers of Grief’, Mutagenic Host inject sampled-screams and haunting ambient/sci-fi sounds into an intro that heralds a full-bodied, instrumental-led death metal track. It’s actually quite a treat to hear their instruments coming to front as they do and as the volume fades, so does the adrenaline. The spacey, ethereal outro is comforting but it doesn’t hide the fact that the record is over.

From demo to debut album, it feels like the step change for Mutagenic Host has been massive. The recording work done by Boulty at Stuck on a Name Studio in Nottingham and Charlie Wilson at Monolith Studios in London (both great independent recording studios), coupled with the mixing and mastering from Ben Jones (who also worked on their demo), really elevated this release. Ash, Jack, Sami, Dan and George have nailed it here and hopefully there’s much more to come.

You can stream The Diseased Machine and purchase it digitally, as well as on tape and CD from Mutagenic Host below:-

Mutagenic Host - https://www.facebook.com/MutagenicHost

You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/category/dry-cough-releases

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/category/our-releases

Memento Mori - http://www.memento-mori.es/store_search.php?text_search=Mutagenic+Host&genre=0&search_home=store_death

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Disengagement - Formless In A Violent World

Labels: Self-Released/Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Jul 2023

Tracklist:

1. Black Hole Horizon

2. Permafrost

3. Deathdealer

4. Formless In A Violent World

Continuing (and catching-up) with my write-ups about the releases coming from Manchester, UK based doom/sludge turned doom/death label Dry Cough Records moves a step closer this evening as I focus on the 2023 debut EP from North West quintet Disengagement. Formless In A Violent World saw the light of day (if that's the right phrase) in July 2023 on both digital and tape formats. It proved so popular in fact, that Dry Cough Records pressed a second run of tapes, which are now fully sold out.

On reading through the list of bands that Disengagement's members play in/have played in, it's names including The Flex, Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence and Headroom that jump out at me. Its got me wondering how they went on to form a band rooted in old-school death metal. Maybe that's a question better left unasked. 

I own a copy of this EP on tape and despite having a portable tape/cd combo player, I’m in the market for a proper tape deck (any leads would be greatly appreciated). I need one to fully appreciate the quality encased within the plastic shell of this and all of the other tapes in my collection. Starting with ‘Black Hole Horizon’, Disengagement presents a down and dirty modern take on OSDM, which is something UK bands do pretty damn well. Pummelling yet classy percussion is joined by rumbling bass, thrash-laden death metal riffs and deep, bellowed vocals.

The opening riffs and tempo of ‘Permafrost’ nod towards the many bands that Disengagement’s members also reside in, but don’t let that fool you. Instead of being influenced by raucous/groovy hardcore, the mid-paced death metal approach turns it into a menacing yet subtle march.

‘Deathdealer’ sees the tempo ratchet up a notch thanks to more thrash-like death metal grooves. It’s a really classy take of death metal that will captivate you, if you haven’t already been dragged in by it’s hellish siren song. I appreciate that it’s been nearly eighteen months since this EP was released, but I for one am hoping that the silence from Disengagement since doesn’t spell the end of the band.

Closing with the title-track ‘Formless In A Violent World’, things get decidedly more sludgy and slower in tempo, leaning evermore towards the old-school. I’m not complaining because everything about it is absolutely perfect. The instrumental and eventual vocal delivery is what makes it so.

If you’re looking for a death metal EP that’s free from experimental noodling and resplendent in straight-forward yet disgusting tones, this is for you. I’m going to stick my neck out and say that it’s the best version  of OSDM I’ve listened to since the (new) current wave of UK death metal crawled out of the soil. More please!

You can stream and purchase Formless In A Violent World digitally below for just £2.00 from Disengagement below:-

Disengagement Instagram - @disengagement.death

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Coffin Mulch - Spectral Intercession

Labels: At War With False Noise/Darker Than Darkness Records/Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. Spectral Intercession

2. Into The Blood

3. Mental Suicide

4. In The Grip Of Death

5. Fall Og Gaia

6. Gateway To The Unseen

7. Infernal Mass

8. Eternal Enslavement

When a death metal band comes along featuring members/ex-members of bands from outside of the genre, there's reason to be intrigued and excited. Gathering musicians from doom/sludge bands Age Of Taurus (previously reviewed here), Backstabber, Forever Machine, as well noisecore act Seppuku and Tetsuo (whom I don't know much about), you'd be forgiven for not knowing what to expect. Spectral Intercession was released in mid-2023 and is the band's first full-length, following a demo, an EP and two singles since their formation in 2018. They landed on my radar thanks to Dry Cough Records, who released the album on tape.

The weirdness starts straight off the bat thanks to the intro of opener ‘Spectral Intercession’, which after bizarre screams and noise descends into a whirlwind of old-school death metal of the thicc riff variety. Not overly fast tempo-wise and with a solid low-end, it grabs your attention with ease. Coffin Mulch carry the momentum of their album opener forward with ‘Into The Blood’, which doesn’t break for breath until the mid-way point when it flips from driving up-tempo death metal to sluggish doom/death. It’s absolutely glorious and the screeching guitar mini-solo towards the end caps the listening experience off perfectly.

Being a huge fan of doom/sludge and powerviolence, I like those low riffs that shake everything right to the core. The sort of riffs that open up ‘Mental Suicide’ then! They set the scene for what’s to come, even if that is unexpectedly blasting. The percussion is much more prominent here, providing not just a backdrop but a lead for the rest of CM to follow. ’In The Grip Of Death’ closes out the first half of the album with some truly epic OSDM that refuses to hang around. It’s over very quickly but there’s still plenty of musicianship throughout it’s sub two-minute playing time. 

The second half of Spectral Intercession rolls around with ‘Fall Of Gaia’ and it couldn’t be better. A constant barrage of top-tier UK death metal is all that’s required and Coffin Mulch deliver in spades. The buffeting intensity of ‘Gateway To The Unseen’ and the occasional use of vocal reverb (if I’m hearing things correctly) give this song a much more crusty feel, though it is subtle. Obviously, I get that how we hear and interpret music is subjective (I’ve said it enough times here before already), so you definitely should decide for yourselves. 

Penultimate song ‘Infernal Mass’ gives off complete doom/sludge vibes early on before Coffin Mulch once again launch into hyperspace, without the need for a drum machine(!), while allowing the lead guitar to shine once more amongst the chaos is perfect this late on in the album. Closer ‘Eternal Enslavement’ is the lengthiest song by some margin on Spectral Intercession and it’s everything you hoped it would be. Stark spoken-word samples, slow/low riffs, upbeat percussion and those now customary harsh vocals come together to offer an even greater old-school feel.

As the current “new wave” of UK old-school death metal grows it’s tentacles, Coffin Mulch stand out in the darkness. Expertly performed throughout, this album is both visually and musically up there with the very best in the genre right now.

You can stream and purchase Spectral Intercession digitally, as well as on limited edition vinyl from Coffin Mulch below:-

Coffin Mulch - https://www.facebook.com/coffinmulch

Physical copies can also be purchased on tape from Dry Cough Records below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/coffin-mulch-spectral-intercession-cassette-dc73

At War With False Noise - https://awwfn.bandcamp.com

Darker Than Darkness Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Gorgon Vomit - Babylon Detonator EP

Labels: Self-Released/Dry Cough Records

Formats: Digital/CD/Tape

Release Date: 30 Aug 2022

Tracklist:

1. Spawned With The Soul Of Enlightening Lucifer

2. Jah Retch

3. Evangelise Satan

4. Babylon Detonator

2022 saw the formation of new UK bestial death metal band Gorgon Vomit. They wasted no time in releasing their first EP Babylon Detonator digitally and on CD soon after. In mid-2023, renowned underground UK death/doom label Dry Cough Records released a limited tape run too. It features four scathing black/death metal songs, which will come as no surprise given the band's links to fellow UK extreme acts including Atvm, Scythian, Vacuous and more.

(Artwork from the Dry Cough tape variant)

Heaviness comes in many forms and if you’re into death metal (you probably are if you’re reading this), you’ll no doubt be aware of the cosmic/psych-fuelled sounds of Blood Incantation and Wharflurch. You can add Gorgon Vomit to that list thanks to Babylon Detonator. While their sound includes blasts and bestial black/death metal at it’s core, opener ‘Spawned With The Soul Of Enlightening Lucifer’ is brimming with it’s own unique take on the genre. Chaotic yet trippy.

’Jah Retch’ goes in an industrial/death/doom sort of direction to start with, before Gorgon Vomit leap forward in technicality and ferocity. The fact that the UK continues to spew out bands like this is insane. While their visuals and lyrical themes may take cues from the usual subjects, Gorgon Vomit stand for empowerment, individualism, freedom and pride (in their very own words) and it’s hard to argue with that.

‘Evangelise Satan’ sees them being emboldened to hit the highest gear in both tempo and intensity. It goes by very quickly as you’d expect, but there’s something almost catchy about it, which is another theme that seems to flow through this EP. Closing with title-song ‘Babylon Detonator’, you get off-kilter instrumentation, low growls and well-placed melodic guitar work. You have to take this EP seriously given the quality of the music. 

It’s over pretty quickly then but with enough quality to really draw you in. Having already released two new records earlier this year, there’s plenty more to get stuck into. What are you waiting for?

You can stream and buy Babylon Detonator digitally below:-

Both CD copies from Gorgon Vomit and tape copies from Dry Cough are sold out.

Gorgon Vomit - https://www.instagram.com/gorgonvomit/

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Visions From Beyond - Portal To Inertia

Labels: Brutal Cave Productions/Dry Cough Records/Self-Released

Formats: CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 02 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. The Crossing

2. Portal To Inertia

3. Second Sight

4. Into Hell

Portal To Inertia is the second and latest EP to come from Bristolian (UK) death/doom entity Visions From Beyond (if you don't count the debut demo that is). It was released digitally by the band in June of last year, while at the same time seeing a CD release via Portuguese label Brutal Cave Productions, alongside a tape pressing from the ever-dependable UK death/doom label Dry Cough Records. I can't remember whether I've mentioned this before but the sole member of Visions From Beyond also forms part of grindcore trio Fetus Christ (and is also a member of new death metal band Ritual Execution, which has recently released it's first tape via Dry Cough).

It’s been a lot of fun tracking the trajectory of Visions From Beyond since the band’s 2021 demo Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time. Grabbing the latest EP Portal To Inertia last year and jamming it alongside other (Dry Cough approved) UK death/doom bands has been an absolute joy. It feels like it’s been an age but I feel it’s time to write about these four tracks properly. 

Starting with ‘The Crossing’, Visions From Beyond deliver raw and hellish death metal with a huge helping of funeral doom for good measure. There’s always a limitation to being a solo project but it doesn’t hold Visions From Beyond back at all here. Gnarly yet oddly cosmic extreme metal more than hints at what’s to come.

The EP’s title-track ‘Portal To Inertia’ is all blasts and mesmeric guitar work, coupled with disturbingly low guttural vocals. Additional progressive lead guitar flutters amongst the heaviness, providing something close to relief. ‘Second Sight’ delivers at a much slower tempo to begin with, as if it’s paying tribute to the early Dry Cough output of sickening doom/sludge. The instrumentation takes absolute control throughout the song’s four+ minute playing time, as the vocals resemble some kind of sporadically tortured beast from another realm.

Leaving the best till last, Visions From Beyond delivers a near eight-minute monolith called ‘Into Hell’, which is very aptly named. The bass guitar provides such a rumbling low-end that it’s hard for the rest of the instrumentation to keep up (which is a strange thing to say given the slowness), but you’ll get what I mean as you get deeper into it. Subtle vocals, exquisite percussion and whale song-like lead guitar textures call time on what is a harrowing yet euphoric body of work.

I’ve already written plenty of positive words about Visions From Beyond here and this EP proves why that’s the case. For me, it’s important to support and encourage bands that are starting out, looking to build an audience of their own. I can’t wait to continue following the journey and if you’re new to Visions From Beyond, get on board too.

You can stream and also buy Portal To Inertia on all three formats directly from Visions From Beyond below:-

Visions From Beyond - https://www.facebook.com/visionsfrombeyond.official

Physical copies are also available from the labels below:-

Brutal Cave Productions - https://brutalcaveproductions.bandcamp.com/album/portal-to-inertia

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/visions-from-beyond-portal-to-inertia-cassette-dc71

Beutal Cave Productions - https://www.facebook.com/brutalcaveproductions

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Mutagenic Host - The Genotoxic Demo

Labels: Self-Released/Dry Cough Records/Excarnation Records

Formats: Digital/Tape/CD

Release Date: 19 Jan 2023

Tracklist:

1. Mutagen

2. March Of Pestilence

3. Enforced Bodily Terror

4. Hive Unintelligence

5. Metaphysical Maladies

In January of last year a brand new international death metal band emerged. Made up of members from Finland, USA and the UK, Mutagenic Host self-released their debut The Genotoxic Demo digitally that same month, while UK label Dry Cough Records made not one but two pressings on tape. Fast-forward a year and Brazilian label Excarnation Records released the demo on CD with a slightly different cover (see below).

Opening the demo with the unnervingly ambient, sample-filled intro ‘Mutagen’, there’s no need to second guess whats to come. ‘March Of Pestilence’ does all the guessing for you with it’s filthy, riff-filled death metal. Metallic in places and with harrowing vocals, it takes a bit of time to truly get going percussion-wise but when it does, there’s no escape. 

The excellently titled ‘Enforced Bodily Terror’ conjures up images of unimaginable torture and I guess that’s what Mutagenic Host were going for when they wrote it. It’s very much mid-paced in delivery but to be honest, all of the best death metal is at the slower/sludgier end of the tempo spectrum imo.

‘Hive Unintelligence’ has that slam vibe going on straight from the off, though that vibe is ultimately misleading as the sound morphs into something much more old-school and grinding soon after. The mix of fast and slow tempos really work here as Mutagenic Host reach their true, gruesome stride. 

Demo closer ‘Metaphysical Maladies’ comes at you way too quickly (I feel like I say that a lot!), but in this case it’s definitely true. It’s all down to the pace and song-writing that’s employed by Mutagenic Host, as they bring this impressive first release to a crushing end.

Mutagenic Host align themselves with the NWOBDM (New Wave Of British Death Metal) and they’re in great company. Dry Cough Records, alongside other labels, have been championing the latest wave of British death metal bands lately (including but not limited to Slimelord, Mortuary Spawn, Atvm etc). The future looks decidedly murky and dank, much like state of the nation. It’s almost like it was meant to be.

You can download the demo for just £1 (or more) via bandcamp below:-

Mutagenic Host Instagram - @mutagenichost

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Copies of the 2nd tape press from Dry Cough Records can be purchased from the link below:-

https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/mutagenic-host-the-genotoxic-tape-2nd-run-dc67

Get in touch with Excarnation Records if you'd like a CD copy here - https://www.facebook.com/excarnrecs/

Liquid Shit - Repulsive Bodies

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Apr 2023

Tracklist:

1. Anxious Wretch

2. Encrusted In Eschar

3. Untethered

4. Foul Occurrence

5. Mentally Dissected

6. Bound Forever To This Body

Less than twelve months after their last EP Untold Horrors in May 2022, London's Liquid Shit returned with their latest EP Repulsive Bodies. Self-released by the band in April 2023 while at the same time getting a tape pressing via Dry Cough Records, it sees Liquid Shit delving deeper into the world of noise and sludge, while also keeping their feet rooted in death metal. 

I absolutely loved Untold Horrors when it was released in 2022. I don’t know, there was just something so warming about it. So much so that I ordered a tape copy of Repulsive Bodies as soon as I could. I’m just sorry that it’s taken me a year to write about it. Today’s muggy atmosphere (coupled with the obligatory allergy flair-up) seems the like the perfect conditions to finally put my thoughts about this EP into print and as opener ‘Anxious Wretch’ lurches into life with slow/sludgy death metal, it makes me wonder if Liquid Shit will be the band that genuinely finds that elusive brown note. 

It’s not a fast song by any means but ‘Anxious Wretch’ acts as a precursor for what’s to come. What does come next is ‘Encrusted In Eschar’, which begins with a whole heap of proper doom/sludge-laden bass, leading to similarly downbeat instrumental all round. The vocals don’t give off any light either, in case you were wondering.

There’s a heavy psych influence in the riffs on ‘Untethered’, which might take you by surprise slightly but have no fear, they’re in absolutely the right place and add a huge amount to the song given how minimalist it is in places. I’m not saying that being minimalist is a bad thing (because it’s not) but I always felt like Liquid Shit had psych vibes in them when listening to Untold Horrors. 

Having said all that though, you couldn’t get a more apt song than Foul Occurrence. What you get here is another slow number that drags death metal into the deepest of places. It comes across as the bastard love child born of Cynic and Primitive Man. Picture that if you will. Slightly progressive/psychedelic death metal mixed with the nastiest sludge/doom.

Penultimate song ‘Mentally Dissected’ dials up the off-kilter musicianship and general noisiness even more, but manages to retain a healthy dose of what made old-school death/doom so engrossing during the song’s first half, before it descends into chaos later on. Closing with ‘Bound Forever To This Body’, unnerving samples lead to a cacophony of deep growls, screeching feedback and minimal yet crushing instrumentation.  

I really like the path that Liquid Shit have chosen to go down with their extreme sound. It would have been easy for them to just follow what others are doing but their music has a more experimental edge to it. This EP follows on from Untold Horrors perfectly and gives the slightest of glimpses into what may be coming next.

You can stream and purchase Repulsive Bodies digitally from Liquid Shit below, as well as the last few white/black long sleeve t-shirts too:-

Dry Cough tapes are sold out.

Liquid Shit - @liquidshitsludge Instagram

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Penny Coffin - Conscripted Morality

 Labels: At War With False Noise/Dry Cough Records/Macho Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Apr 2023

Tracklist:

1. Ballistic

2. Predator

3. Slowdive

4. Conscripted Morality

I'm slowly making my way through write-ups about the latest releases from Mancunian doom/death label Dry Cough Records (in order of release according to bandcamp because I'm like that!). Conscripted Morality is the most recent EP to come from Scotland's Penny Coffin. It was self-released by the band digitally last April, alongside Dry Cough's tape version and a cd release from At War With False Noise. Later that month it received the vinyl treatment thanks to Macho Records. It's always great to hear what the current (and ever growing) crop of UK death metal bands are spewing out.

It’s been just over a year since Conscripted Morality was released, but a year is nothing really when you think about it. Opener ‘Ballistic’ gives off a bit of false hope initially (title-wise anyway) with a psychedelic intro before Penny Coffin launch into some proper riff-heavy, percussion-led brutality with the cruellest of vocal deliveries and melody that creates a whole different level of atmosphere.

There’s an unnerving undertone flowing through ‘Predator’, though it’s overridden by the groove-laden death metal approach that’s employed here. At times it borrows from modern brutal death metal (Gore House Productions/Unique Leader Records-type death) but it never strays too far from the old-school. I guess it could easily sit on either of those two labels but they’re only used as a reference. 

‘Slowdive’ uses Penny Coffin’s love for harsh noise to rouse and rile up those listening before another round of submission-like OSDM comes out fighting. The low register frequented by the vocals create a hellish vibe, yet when they give way and allow the instrumentation to take over, it feels like you’re in a different realm. Spacey, avant-garde guitar work and time signatures provide the perfect mid-section before Penny Coffin hit the loud pedal once again. 

Closing with the expansive title-track, Penny Coffin leaves you with so much to take in and process, not mentally but musically (and maybe even spiritually). Nearly eight minutes of extremity await in what is their most doom-heavy song on the EP. It shows just how good they are musically, from early intensity to comforting melody before repeated bludgeoning and all manner of warped majesty later on. 

I can try to paint a picture with words but it’s all futile in the end. Listening is one of the great qualities we possess as humans and taking time out to do just that can be transformative. The experience of listening to Conscripted Morality feels just the same. A fantastic EP that deserves to be enjoyed by any extreme metal maniac.

You can stream and purchase Conscripted Morality digitally, as well as a special tape pre-order from Penny Coffin below:-

Penny Coffin - https://www.facebook.com/pennycoffindeath

Physical copies are available from the labels below:-

At War With False Noise - https://awwfn.bandcamp.com/album/conscripted-morality

Macho Records - https://machorecord.bandcamp.com/album/conscripted-morality

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Macho Records - https://www.facebook.com/MachoRecordings