There’s no ignoring the fact that clean, polished technical-based death metal bands have gained prominence in the metal media in recent years. However, Tokyo’s COFFINS proudly reminds us of death metal’s dark and brutal origins.
The best way to describe their sound is downtuned, sludgy, dirty, and ugly as shit. COFFINS does not go any faster than a mid-paced stomping tempo on average, which helps power the sludge/doom element of their sound. Some songs are definitely faster than others though. The nine tracks on The Fleshland are pretty even in terms of quality - not high or low but somewhere in the middle.
Kudos to the band for an excellent, crystal clear production. It’s great to hear this style of death metal be given the sound it deserves. Big money budgets be damned.
It should also be noted that the album artwork by Chris Moyen perfectly fits the music.
COFFINS will likely not change your life but they fit a niche in death metal and are tops in style points. (Relapse Records)
