ALBUM REVIEW: Coughdust - "Worldwrench"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 01/09/2017

Label: Suicide Records

Coughdust stirs up a blend of doom and stoner riffs that may intrigue your musical sensibilities for their sharp contrasts – the doom stylings are most assuredly doom, while the stoner orientation very clearly recalls the psychedelic, even classic, chords associated with this subgenre. Coughdust's sounds can be truly refreshing and with an added death metal influence, you'll find some spellbinding music within.

“Worldwrench”CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Serpents of the Earth

2. The Second Principle  

3. Gripless

4. Worldwrench

5. Dead Calm

6. Blind

The Review:

Composed of players who have performed with death metal staple Deathbound, progressive/heavy band Lowmen and death metal group Corpset, Coughduststirs up a blend of doom and stoner riffs that may intrigue your musical sensibilities for their sharp contrasts – the doom stylings are most assuredly doom, while the stoner orientation very clearly recalls the psychedelic, even classic, chords associated with this subgenre. Considering how often stoner can end up in form and function sludge in so many words, Coughdust'ssounds can be truly refreshing. Add to this death metal influences and you'll find some spellbinding music.

The road for the four-piece has included a 2012 debut EP, a 2014 full-length and a 2015 split with fellow Finnish stoner/doom group Demonic Death Judge. With "Worldwrench," Coughdust follows up those outings with new evolutions of its brand of doom.

As in its previous releases, Coughdust excels through the powerful and original vocals of Antti Murtonen, who has fronted bands like Ward and Conform. His particular microphone approach is faithful to how contemporary extreme music is visioned today, while remaining distinct in its timbre and intensity. "Serpents of the Earth," which kicks off the new album, helps the uninitiated get a handle on this cutting vocal, where agonized howls alternate with bitter lyricism. The listener also is drawn in by the violent drum work of Petri Hartikainen, who you may have heard as part of the Finnish death metal band Worthless. Hartikainen offers a death metal consignment to "Worldwrench," amping up the speed and pacing to match what becomes harder playing than standard doom.

Coughdust tends to be most unique in its atypical tracks. "The Second Principle" is a departure from the open and plants the stoner flag, much like "Dead Calm" later on the album. Both give a grinding, corrosive accounting for the group until settling in with a hallucinatory slog of guitars, noise and distortion. These avenues are quite unexpected, given the way the tracks begin, but are nevertheless impressive.

Considering the intersection of death metal with this group, you probably won't be shocked to hear these elements in tracks like "Blind." How they're composed is quite inventive. Heavy, asymmetrical chord progressions, fierce bass and the previously mentioned drum patterns are standout. The overall organization of songs and rhythms are paired well throughout, and will undoubtedly thrash you.

One of the only complaints about "Worldwrench" is its length. At just around half an hour, the album feels like it ends far too early, and you do not get more out of Coughdust as you might otherwise want. Nevertheless the group makes an audacious return, one that will please its base and lure in those curious about its emerging reputation for archetypal sound.

"Worldwrench" is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook