COFFIN LURKER - Foul And Defiled CD

One could argue that part of this could be due to the very nature of Coffin Lurker. The presentation is so damp, murky, and unwelcoming that I can't imagine the demo stage being necessary. Falling into the "doom/death" territory, Foul And Defiled is only five tracks that add up to about a half hour, each one being a long and disgusting march through filth and emptiness. Bass plays such a prominent role not because it adds to (or creates) any sense of rhythm, but rather, thickens the already mucky bottom layer of reverberating guitars. The only sense of rhythm really comes from the drums , casting a silhouette of a pattern that's otherwise hidden behind drones of unforgiving guitar stench.

In other words, this isn't just another Spectral Voice clone that gives us "caveman riffs" that still have jarring shifts and spaces in between that one can discern. Rather, I find this to strike a very specific mood that's meant to feel like you've been stomped and trampled into the soil, becoming part of the harsh climate that is this music. It's rare that I find myself drawn to such a thing, and I actually won't even pretend that this is anything great, yet here we are with me returning to it several times. Maybe part of it is the fact that it's so short, and conjures a feeling rather than anything worth "jamming" to. There's a Star Wars legends book that speaks of a Sith that once sucked the life out of an entire planet, and this may be the closest thing to picturing that I've come across. So if nothing else, I can at least say there's some purpose? Truly soulless stuff in the coldest way.