Penny Coffin - ΤΕΦΡΑ/ΣΚΕΛΕΤΙΚΟΣΚΟΤΑΔΙ (Tefra/Skeletal Darkness)

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Jan 2022

Tracklist:

1. Smog

2. Bootlicker

3. Confinement

4. Jaws

5. Skeletal Darkness

6. Finality

At the beginning of the year, UK extreme metal label Dry Cough Records released this tape featuring both the 2021 EP Tefra and early 2022 EP Skeletal Darkness from Scottish/Greek death metal band Penny Coffin. Penny Coffin formed in 2021 (or there about) but have already chalked up some serious live appearances, playing with the likes of Hellripper, (recent 20 Buck Spin signees) Slimelord and Vacivus amongst many others. Another huge addition to the ever growing Scottish death metal community!

Today’s brought all manner of strangeness, which must be to do with it being a Wednesday. Thankfully Penny Coffin bring a bit of familiar nastiness with tape opener ‘Smog’. It sounds properly old-school with downtuned riffs, foundation shaking bass, battering percussion and grim vocals that sit within it all. There’s melody and atmosphere too though, but it’s somewhat menacingly delivered. If you thought that ‘Smog’ was a harrowing blast of death metal, then really it was just easing you into proceedings as ‘Bootlicker’ wades in with a much more doom-laden approach that drags the mood down to greater depths. In doing so though, it also shows how adept Penny Coffin are at weaving their influences into their music without merely copying them. I love mournful death metal songs like this.

‘Confinement’ is the final song from the Tefra side of this tape and it’s also the longest of the initial trio, showing that Penny Coffin do doom/death just as well as any Scandinavian band can muster. It’s instrumental for a large part of it’s latter-half with the vocals once again sitting deeper within the mix. There’s a more traditional metal/thrash influence that hits you as ‘Jaws’ begins with it’s higher-pitched leads but before too long, Penny Coffin settles back into a familiar furrow, albeit with a much fuller sound. Slightly more progressive in parts too, but don’t let that scare you if you’re a death metal purist.

The second EP’s title track ‘Skeletal Darkness’ comes next, as the EP makes up the latter half of this release. Again, the melodic dual-guitars create a whirling, all-encompassing sound that whisks you into an illusion of ever-slowing extremity. Penny Coffin do such a great job of the whole slow-but-fast doom/death thing. At times, it kind of reminds me a bit of early Dry Cough band Voe when the accented lead riffs take hold at the mid-section. So good, especially alongside the higher-pitched vocals later on. There’s a heart-racing end to the release thanks to ‘Finality’, that sees Penny Coffin forging one last up-tempo blast and it’s sublime! What a way to end. 

As the nights draw ever darker and the winter of discontent looms larger, music by bands like Penny Coffin will get us through (even if there are power cuts). I know what I’ll be listening to when things go black. Best get my provisions and power banks sorted!

You can stream and purchase Tefra/Skeletal Darkness digitally via Dry Cough below, where a second run of tapes are also available (snap em up quick!):-

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

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

Katavasia - Invoking The Spirit Of Doom 7"

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 01 Oct 2021

Tracklist:

1. Descending To Acheron

2. Premonition Of Doom

Black metal has been a staple of the Greek extreme metal community for time immemorial (it seems), From the Hellenic tomes of Rotting Christ and Varathron to the modern day approaches of Caedes Cruenta, Dodsferd and Ithaqua, the sub-genre has very much found a home on the warm Aegean/Ionian shores. Katavasia formed in 2014 and they've been very productive since then. Between 2015 and the end of 2020, they released two full-lengths and an EP. Their work ethic remained in tact during the pandemic and last year they released their latest EP 'Invoking The Spirit Of Doom' via Iron Bonehead Productions. Limited to 500 copies on two different variants, it contains two songs stretching to nearly ten minutes in length.

I still think the 7” format is under appreciated. Yes it may be more expensing to press songs onto it than onto a 12” record nowadays, but there’s a lot of nostalgia attached to it. That’s why it’s nice to see that both Katavasia and Iron Bonehead Productions committed to it for the Invoking The Spirit Of Doom EP. Starting with ‘Descending To Acheron’, the EP is a raw beast that has icy black metal at it’s heart. It’s instrumentation hits hard with a war metal-like approach of driving percussion and thrashing guitars, though there are some subtle orchestral synths buried in the mix too. The vocals are full of character and they help to bring the release to life. 

Second song 'Premonition Of Doom' is very rhythmic as well as being pacier. I’m not sure whether that’s a trick of the ear but Katavasia seem more dialled in here. The bass is more audible and it adds a lot of depth to their music, while there are elements of death metal and heavy metal woven in too. I know that this EP is brief and it does end abruptly just when you’re getting into it’s groove, but that’s kind of the point. You don’t get burnt out listening to it, in fact it leaves you wanting more. Katavasia’s black metal is entertaining from start to finish. This EP is perfect if you’re discovering them for the first time. 

FFO: Rotting Christ, Varathron, Caedes Cruenta, Ithaqua, Havukruunu

You can stream Invoking The Spirit Of Doom and purchase it digitally/on vinyl directly from Katavasia below:-

You can also buy physical vinyl copies from Iron Bonehead Productions below:-

https://shop.ironbonehead.de/

Katavasia - https://www.facebook.com/katavasiaofficial

Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions

Empire Of The Moon - Eclipse

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jan 2020

Tracklist:

1. Arrival

2. Imperium Tridentis

3. Per Aspera ad Lunae - I. The Resonance Within

4. Per Aspera ad Lunae - II. Two Queens Appear

5. Per Aspera ad Lunae - III. Descending

6. Devi Maha Devi

7. Per Aspera ad Lunae IV. Son Of Fire

This feels like such a strange release to be reviewing when it's baking hot and glorious outside. That said, maybe it isn't so strange after all as the heat is slightly oppressive. This is the newest album from Greek black metal band Empire Of The Moon. Released by Iron Bonehead Productions in January, Eclipse is the second full-length offering from the band since their inception in 1996 and their first release in six years.

These are very dark times and tensions are high amongst many. Tension is a good descriptor for the feeling thats created by Eclipse opener ‘Arrival’. It builds in volume and majesty before giving way to ‘Imperium Tridentis’ and it’s ravaging tempo, shrieked vocals and blasting percussion. Initially, the guitars are slightly buried amongst it all but they come to life later on and instrumentally, everything comes alive. Even the Jets that were just flying overheard failed to dampen it.

‘Per Aspera Ad Lunae - i. The Resonance Within’ is a doomier affair, with a slower tempo during instrumental sections and verses alike. It’s a texture that works so well when applied to Empire Of The Moon’s music. As this album progresses, it gets harder to plant Empire Of The Moon into one sub-genre. They go from fast to slow to scathing and then symphonic on ‘Per Aspera Ad Lunae - ii. Two Queens Appear’ and make it all sound effortless while doing so. 

It’s surprising how much momentum is gained through this record. ‘Per Aspera Ad Lunae - iii. Descending’ heralds the beginning of a trio of lengthy songs, but goes by in a flash. Once again, choral symphonies sit alongside heavy yet catchy music. There’s nothing that can be compared to this and considering it’s classed as black metal in a broad sense, it’s very well written and confidently delivered (I’m not bashing other black metal here).

Penultimate song ‘Devi Maha Devi’ is more orthodox in approach but it’s filled with dread and evil. The multi-vocal approach makes it sound like insanity is taking over, but Empire Of The Moon drag you back from the brink just in time, through the use of upbeat tempos and simple but effective riffing. The album’s closer ‘Per Aspera Ad Lunae - iv. Son Of Fire’ is the perfect way to end, as it gathers up all of the band’s qualities and brings them together perfectly. Use this as a time for reflection and introspection before you go back into the crazy world that exists outside of your home. 

Eclipse is another album that proves that extreme music doesn’t have to mean extreme listening. It’s a beautiful body of music and art. 

You can stream Eclipse below:-

Empire Of The Moon - https://www.facebook.com/empireofthemoonofficial/

Vinyl, CD and Digital copies can be purchased via Iron Bonehead Productions below:-

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/empire-of-the-moon-eclipse

Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions/

Spectral Lore/Jute Gyte - Helian

Labels: I, Voidhanger Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 19 Jan 2018

Tracklist: 

1. Jute Gyte - Helian

2. Spectral Lore - Helian

This new two-song split comes from Greek band Spectral Lore and the USA'a Jute Gyte. Both bands play extreme, atmospheric black metal of sorts and this release sees them both re-imagining the 1913 poem "Helian" by Austrian poet Georg Trakl. The split has been released via I, Voidhanger Records on both CD and digital platforms. Spectral Lore was created by sole-member Ayloss in 2005 and to date, the band has released four full-lengths and countless splits and EPs. Jute Gyte, also a one-piece and started by Adam Kalmbach, has released a vast number of full-lengths, splits and EPs. 

This record begins with Jute Gyte’s musical interpretation of Helian. Jute Gyte presents it in a droning, misery-drenched way. The main backbone of the song is doom-like bass/guitar and percussion, interspersed with harsh black metal vocals and organ-like synths. It varies in pace, with the fast sections becoming almost fit-inducing thanks to what sounds like a drum machine that’s set to warp speed. Experimentation is at the forefront of both Jute Gyte’s music and this song. The song is lengthy so thankfully the tempo and mood changes are at points that will maintain the interest of the listener, without turning them off due to it’s extremity. 

The soothing guitar that opens up Spectral Lore’s take on Helian is surely there to draw you into a false sense of security. It’s incredibly musical yet the sense of foreboding that filled the air during Jute Gyte’s song is still there and it’s not long before more feed-back drenched notes fill your ears. Again it’s doom-filled but more restrained as well. The spoken-word sample/vocals sit within the mix before giving way to rasping growls. At times it’s more introspective and relaxing (if I can say that), with less reliance on bold and extreme musical shifts. The song kind of splits in to two movements, as around ten minutes in there’s a very brief moment of silence. That silence gives way to riffy blackened doom, amongst the band’s atmospheric textures.

My futile attempt to write a synopsis of this record is plain to see. It has two very different sides to it though. One is bizarre and extreme, while the other is more insightful and relaxing (in a strange way). It’s a record that you’ll need to listen to yourself, to truly appreciate. Needless to say, it’s inspiring. 

You can stream "Helian" and purchase it on CD and digitally below:-

Jute Gyte - https://jutegyte.bandcamp.com

Spectral Lore - https://spectrallore.bandcamp.com

I, Voidhanger Records - https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records/